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NOTES OF A 



Voyage to California 

YIA CAPE HOEN^, 



TOGETHER WITH 

SCENES IN EL DORADO, 

IN THE YEARS 1849-'S0. 

WITH AN APPENDIX 

Containing Reminiscences of Pioneer Journalism in California— California Day 
at the Centennial Exhibition, Philadelphia, Sept. 9th, 1S7C— Re-Unions 
and Banquets of the Associated Pioneers of California, in New 
York, January 18th, 1877 and 1878— Celebration of Admis- 
sion Day, at Long Branch, N. J., Sept. 8th, 1877— 

Reception to General John C. Fremont, Aug. 1st, 1878, and to Hon. Philip A. 
Roach, June 19th, 1876— Dedication of the Lick Monument at Fred- 
ericksburg, Pa., April 22d, 1878 — Extracts from the Manu- 
script Journal of the " King's Orphan," in the 
year 1843— Pioneer and Kindred 
Organizations ; 

TOGETHER WITH THE 

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION AND ROLL OF MEMBERS 

OP 

"THE ASSOCIATED PIOJIEERS OF THE TERRITORIAL DAIS OF CALlFOEJilA." 



By SAMUEL C. UPHAM. 



"wiarn ^o:Ei,T'z---s'X'v:EZ iijiiTrSTiij&.Ti02iTS. 



"all of WHICH I SAW, AND PART OF WHICH I WAS, 



PHILADELPHIA : 
PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR. 

1878. 




C^ 






Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S7S, by 

SAMUEL C. UPHAM, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D.C. 



PRESS OF 

Franklin Printinq House, 
33 Hudson Street. 




PIONEERS OF CALIFORNIA, 

WHO ENCOUNTERED DANGERS BY FLOOD AND FIELD, 
AND WHOSE 

BEAVE HEAETS AND WILLING HANDS 

HAVE CAUSED THE ARID PLAIN AND THE WILDERNESS TO 

" BLOSSOM AS THE ROSE," 

THIS VOLUME IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY 

THE AUTHOE. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENT. 



To liis esteemed personal friends, Mr. Francis D. Clark 
and Hox. Jeremiah Sherwood, of New York ; Mr. Colin 
M. Boyd, Mr. William Winter, Hon. Philip A. Eoach 
and Daniel Norcross, Esq., of San Francisco, for their efforts 
in behalf of this volume ; to the Hon. Demas Strong, of 
Brooklyn, N. Y., for his proffer of pecuniary aid ; to the pro- 
prietors of the Examiner and the Golden Era, of San Francisco ; 
The Pioneer, of San Jose, and the Neivs, of San Diego, Cal,, 
who published in their respective journals the Prospectus of 
this book, and especially to the following-named gentlemen, 
who had the courage to read the manuscript, comprising six 
hundred closely-written pages, the author returns his grateful 
acknowledgments : 

Having been residents of California during the years 1849-'50, we 
cheerfully indorse the work written by Mr. Samuel C. Upham, of Phila- 
delphia, and consider the volume in all respects a truthful and creditable 
history of that period in California, and of such a character as should 
especially interest all who formed a part of her population in those days 
of excitement and experience. 

H. G. GIBSON, Brevet Brig.-Gen'l, U. S. A., Fort Wadsworth, N. Y. 
THOS. W. SWEENY, " " " 314 East I'iOth Street, N. Y. 

DEMAS STRONG 67 Broadway, Brooklyn, E. D. 

JOHN SICKELS 25 Pine Street, N. Y. 

EDWARD P. BURTON, Deputy Sun^eyor, Custora-House, N. Y. 

JOHN GAULT 71 Broadway, N. Y. 

BEVERLY C. SANDERS, ... 71 Broadway, N. Y. 

W. C. ANNAN ICO Pulton Street, N. Y. 

WM. M. WALTON 19 Dey Street, N. Y. 

STEPHEN L. MERCHANT, ... 53 Broadway, N. Y. 

ROBERT W. BOWLING 105th St. and Eleventh Ave., N. Y, 

A. T. GOODELL, 451 East 57th Street, N. Y. 

GEO. P. SNIFFEN, Sec'y Knickerbocker Life Ins. Co., N. Y. 

(viii) 



PREFACE. 



Preface — the last part of a book written and the first 
read. A book without a preface is like a coach without 
horses — an engine without steam. 

When the news of the discovery of gold in California 
reached the Atlantic States, in the summer of 1848, I held 
a somewhat lucrative situation in the counting-house of a 
mercantile firm in the city of Brotherly Love. The early 
reports were of so vague a character as scarcely to be credited 
by the most enthusiastic, and were pronounced by the skep- 
tical as visionary — schemes gotten up by the j^owers at Wash- 
ington to encourage emigration to California and Oregon. 
But when, in the fall of that year, the dispatches of Com- 
modore Jones, Colonel Mason and Thomas O. Larkin were 
officially announced by President Polk's Cabinet, and their 
statements indorsed by the President himself, soon after, in 
his message to both Houses of Congress, the existence of the ' 
gold-mines of California was acknowledged a fixed fact, and 
thousands started at once for the new El Dorado, and among 
them the reader's humble servant. When I resigned the 
quill for " the pick and the spade," it Avas my intention to 
have gone to California via the Isthmus of Panama, but on 
the eve of my departure, a communication appeared in the 
New York Herald, in which the writer depicted in such 
vivid colors the " hair-breadth 'scapes " by that route, that 

(ix) 



X PEEFACE. 

I abandoned my original intention and engaged passage 
via Cape Horn. 

My time, during the two weeks jirior to my departure, was 
mostly employed in making the necessary arrangements for 
the voyage. Expecting to remain at least one year in the 
gold-diggings, I purchased and shipped the requisite pro- 
visions for my subsistence during that time. I also stowed 
away in a large camp-chest, purchased expressly for that 
purpose, sundry dozens of flannel and "hickory" shirts, 
several pairs of inexpressibles, half a dozen hats, of the latest 
California styles, one of Krider's incomparable rifles, a six- 
shooter, with annnuuition to match, and last, though not 
least, one of those indisjoensable articles in a new country — 
an Arkansas " tooth-pick." As I was on the eve of starting, 
I added to my outfit a chest of medicine, accompanied by a 
book containing directions, which, if strictly adhered to, 
would cure all the ills which flesh is heir to. My mining 
implements consisted of a pick, spade and crowbar, a nest of 
sieves, a large tin pan and three patent gold-Avashers, each of 
a different pattern — first-class humbugs ! I also purchased 
an India-rubber ivater-proof suit — which was anything else 
than what it purported to be — consisting of coat, cap, long- 
boots and gauntlets, together with a tent of the same mate- 
rial, another jiroof of the old adage — a fool and his money are 
soon parted. But I was not alone in my folly. Many of my 
fellow-voyagers were equally burthened with " traps," which, 
on their arrival in California, proved to be quite as useless. 

I do not claim for these Reminiscences any great literary 
merit, nor do I expect to " put money in my purse " by their 
publication. They have been written amid the hurly-burly 
of a busy mercantile life, from notes taken at the time the 
incidents treated of transpired — their principal merit being 
a narration of fads, not fancies. I have devoted considerable 



PREFACE. XI 

space to tlie early history of Sacameuto City, where, during 
the spring and summer of 1850, I was engaged in the pub- 
lication of the Sacramento Transcript, and from the columns 
of that journal I have made frequent drafts. Should the 
reader become weary of the monotony of the long sea-voyage, 
let him turn to the portrayal of scenes in Rio de Janeiro or 
Concepcion, or to the more stirring events in Sacramento 
City, during the Squatter riots in the month of August, 1850. 
In conclusion, permit me to say, should anything in this 
volume add to the hitherto unwritten history of California, 
my labor will not have been in vain ; and I will also state, 
that throughout these pages my chief aim has been to 

" A round, unvarnished tale deliver, 
Nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice." 

Samuel C. Upham. 
Philadelphia, October 5th, 1878. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

The departure — Scramble to get on board — Last night on terra 
firma — Names of passengers — Departure from the Break- 
water — Discharge the pilot — Paying tribute to old Neptune 
— Storm at sea— Deck-load thrown overboard — Humorous 
incident — Brandy vs. Pilot-bread — Dissatisfaction among 
the steerage passengers — Captain Fairfowl shows his teeth 
— One of the sailors flogged — Mother Cary's chickens. 23 



CHAPTER 11. 

Cruising in the tropics — Cabin passengers have a jollification 
— Cross the equator — Visit the bark Croton — Dissecting a 
shark — Passengers present a petition to Captain Fairfowl — 
A duel in embryo — Celebration of Washington's Birthday 
— Steerage passengers on short allowance — Gambling on 
board — Welcome visitors — Land, ho! — Enter the harbor 
of Rio de Janeiro — Impressions on beholding it — First 
hour on shore 40 



CHAPTER HI. 

City of Rio de Janeiro — Visit to the market — Mode of nursing 
children in Rio — The Passeio Publico — Rare plants and 
flowers — Butchery of Santa Lucia — View of the city from 
Telegraph Hill — The Theatre San Januaria — Trick of the 
manager — A night on a dilapidated sofa — Emperor's church 
— Interior decorations — Yankee mercantile house in Rio — 
Visit to Praya Grande — The Frenchman and his orange 
grove — Visit to the Navy Yard — Scene at the guard- 
house — 'Convent of St. Benedict — Funeral ceremony — Mode 
of interment. ....... 61 

(xiii) 



XIV CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER IV. 

Visit to the museum — Precious stones, medals, etc. — Observ- 
ance of the Sabbath iu Rio — Washerwomen of the Campo 
Santa Anna — Visit to the Academy of Fine Arts — Paint- 
ings and sculpture — The Strangers' Burial-ground — Hot- 
corn women — American ladies bound for California — The 
Emperor's palace and garden — Visit to the latter — The 
Emperor's juvenile sports — Second night at the theatre — 
Dom Pedro II and Donna Therese — Slaves in Rio — 
Arrival of gold-dust from California — Arrival of the steam- 
ship Panama — News from home — California-bound vessels 
in Rio 76 

CHAPTER V. 

Departure from Rio — Vessels bound for El Dorado — Auction 
sale at sea — A paj/ipero — Its consequences — Putting a little 
whisky where it would do the most good — Hail-storm — 
Raffle for a monkey — Melee between a passenger and the 
steward — School of porpoises — Sudden change iu the at- 
mosphere — Its effects — All hands on an allowance of water 
— Horrors of a passage around Cape Horn subsiding — All- 
Fools' Day — "The Perseverance Mining Company" — Ar- 
ticles of agreement 92 

CHAPTER VI. 

Another gale — Salt-water coffee — Cabin stove broken — An- 
other hail-storm — Terra del Fuego — Staten Land by moon- 
light — Double Staten Land — Death of Jocko, the sailors' 
pet — Furious gale off Cape Plorn — The cook's galley cap- 
sized — Cabin passeugers on a jamboree — Another gale — 
Drifting about in the region of icebergs — Raw pork and 
hard-tack — Fresh provisions all gone — Novel method of 
obtaining fresh grub at sea — Double Cape Horn — Boxing 
the compass — Passeugers volunteer to staud watch — Capture 
of an albatross . . 107 

CHAPTER VII. 

Another severe gale — Swollen limbs — Is it scurvy ? — Captain 
and mate have a growl — Fight between two passengers — 
One of the passengers celebrates his birthday — Gambling 
on board, and the Captain's mode of suppressing it — Fair 



CONTENTS. XV 

wind once more — Passengers again on deck — Punishing a 
ship's boy — Passengers object to putting into Talcahuana — 
Anchors gotten over the bow — Passengers watching for land 
— Make the coast of Chili — Head-wind — Driven out to 
sea . . 123 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Put into the wrong harbor — Passengers go ashore — Reception 
by the natives of De Chatta — Deserters — Dine with the 
Alcalde — Ascertain our whereabouts, and start for Talca- 
huana — Scenery en route — Chilian peasantry — Their respect 
for the dead — Primitive wine-press and threshing-machine — 
Quarter of a century later — Henry Meiggs — His arrival 
in Chili — Brief sketch of his eventful life — Peace to his 
ashes 139 



CHAPTER IX. 

Arrive at Tome — Dog-meat ^'.9. mutton — Embark in a whale- 
boat for Talcahuana — The Red Lion and its landlord — The 
Senorita^ — A night on a dining-table — The market — Coal 
mines — Feast on muscles — Funeral of a whaleman — Chilian 
fandango — Chilians, male and "female — Females making 
their toilet — Passengers arrive from De Chatta — Arrival of 
the Osceola in the harbor of Talcahuana — Breach of the 
Marine Laws of Chili — Threatened confiscation of the brig 
— Visit to the city of Concepcion — California-bound vessels 
in Talcahuana — Funeral procession — Visit to the Paps. 153 



CHAPTER X. 

Description of Talcahuana — Theft of a water-cask — Punish- 
ment of the culprit — Our indebtedness to Captain Finch — 
The American consul — Departure from Talcahuana — Scene: 
in the harbor — Gambling on board — Salt-water dumplings — 
Becalmed — Increase in the price of mining implements — 
General washday — Magnificent scene — Passengers on an 
explpring expedition — Set-to between the Captain and cook 
— Fii-st knockdown for the cook — Sugar served out j)^'o 
rata 167. 



XVI CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XI. 

Sunday at sea — Light and baffling winds — Man-of-war birds 
shot — Fresh pork — CanchaUxgua pills — Passengers on their 
muscle — Crossing the equator — Old Neptune initiates one 
of the sailors — Bed-bugs and fleas — Our old skipper under 
the weather — Fourth of July at sea — Jolly time and no 
whisky — Ship ahoy ! — Visit from the passengers of the ship 
Pacific — We treat them to salt pork and hard-tack — Later 
news from the land of gold — Captain Faii-fowl has the 
dumps 183 

CHAPTER XII. 

Our last porker slaughtered — Cold weather in the tropics — 
Off Lower California — The Captain predicts a fair wind — 
Will wine vinegar inebriate ? — Provisions and water scarce — 
Head-winds — First mate ordered below — Encounter a 
squall — The cook and cabin steward have a free fight — Fog 
and Scotch mist — Drift-wood — Brig ahoy ! — Visit from the 
mate of the brig Spencer — Land ho ! — Farallone Islands — 
Come to anchor outside the Golden Gate. . . 199 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Pass through the Golden Gate and come to anchor in the 
harbor of San Francisco — Visit the town — The Bank-Street 
dry-goods dealer — Recapitulation of the voyage — Scene 
at the post-office — Happy Valley — Leave the Osceola — In- 
telligence from the mines — San Francisco as it was — Crime 
and its punishment — The Parker House and its gambling- 
tables — Climate of San Francisco — Start for the mines — 
Mosquitoes and tides — Arrival at Stockton — Stockton in '4^ 
— En route to the mines 214 

CHAPTER XIV. 

First day and night on the road — Digger Indians — The sur- 
prise — Badly frightened — "Song of the Gold-Digger" — 
The wrong road — Arrival at the "diggins" — Commence 
operations — The result — Rich " diggins " reported — Start on 
a prospecting tour — Return disgusted — Discovery of a rich 
bar — Commence operations — Sickness of the Author — Re- 
turn to Stockton — Leave Stockton for San Francisco — 



/ CONTENTS. XVll 

Changes wrought in two months — Canvass for a newspaper 
route — The Pacific Neivs — Its early history. . . 239 

CHAPTER XV. 

First State election — The winning candidates — "Fire! fire! 
fire!" — A million dollars' worth of property destroyed— 
"Big Ames's" report of the conflagration — An eccentric 
judge — Muddy streets — First vocal entertainment in San 
Francisco — Early theatricals — "Them literary fellers" — 
Terrence McVerdant — "A rallying song for the gold- 
diggers." 262 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Locate in Sacramento City — The Sacramento^ Transcript— 
First election in Sacramento — Three tickets in the field — 
Names of the city and county ofiicers elected — Meeting of 
the Council-elect — Demas Strong chosen President— He 
makes a speech — Adjourned meeting of Council — Mayor 
Bigelow's message read and accepted — First message of the 
first Mayor of Sacramento City 275 

CHAPTER XVII. 

First conflagration in Sacramento City — Amount of property 
destroyed — Collation given to the fire department by Mayor 
Bigelow — Henri Herz, the French composer and pianist — 
His concerts in Sacramento City — First negro minstrel per- 
formance in Sacramento — Rowe's Olympic Circus — Grand 
soiree — Rival politicians — First meeting of the I. O. of 
O. F. in Sacramento City — The Masons and Odd Fellows 
establish a hospital — Sutter Lodge of Ancient York Masons 
— Private hospitals — First public marriage in Sacramento — 
The Placer Times — Colonel Joseph E. Lawrence. . 289 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Commercial advantages of Sacramento City — New buildings 
— First daily issue of the Transcript— The Placer Times 
follows suit — Sell my interest in the Transcript to ]Mr. G. C. 
Weld— Death of INIr. Weld — Tribute to his memory— Cap- 
tain John A. Sutter— Sutter's Fort— Attack on the Fort by 
theTndians — They are repulsed — Hock Farm. . 307 



XVlll CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Grand entertainment given at Hock Farm by Captain Sutter — 
Full report of the affair — Letter from Thomas O. Larkin — 
Mr. Francis D. Clark and others resolve that one man is as 
good as another, provided he behaves himself — The glorious 
Foui'th — Its first celebration in Sacramento City — " The 
Ancient Order of Bricks" and the Sons of Temperance 
publish their programmes of exercises — A jolly Fourth of 
July. ......... 323 

CHAPTER XX. 

Land-titles in Sacramento City — The squatters organize and 
mean business — Buildings erected by the squatters demol- 
ished — The squatters hold incendiary meetings and declare 
war to the knife — Assessor Woodland and Sheriff McKinney 
killed and Mayor Bigelow dangerously wounded — Burial of 
Assessor Woodland and Sheriff McKinney — The citizens 
organize military companies — Relief for the overland emi- 
grants — Farewell to Sacramento City. . . . 833 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Down the Sacramento on the steamer Senator — San Francisco 
in the fall of 1850 — Farewell, San Francisco — Homeward 
bound — The steamer Columbus — Captain Peck — Incidents 
on board — Arrival at Acapulco — Scenes on shore — Conflict 
of authority — Overland emigrants via City of Mexico — 
Arrival at Panama — Go ashore pig-a-back — Immersion 
without the benefit of clergy — Panama in 1850 — Two of 
the Columbus's passengers die of cholera. . . 354 



CHAPTER XXII. 

Leave Panama — To Cruces on mule back — Down the Chagres 
River in a hungo — Deaths by cholera en route — Mr. and 
Mrs. Gillingham — Go on board the steamship Falcon — 
Deaths by cholera — Burial at sea — Arrival at Havana — 
An afternoon and night on shore — Take passage on the 
steamship Ohio for New York — Arrival at New York — 
Departure for Philadelphia — Home again. . . 370 



CONTENTS. XIX 

APPENDIX. 

PIONEER JOURNALISIM IN CALIFORNIA. 

The Pacific News — Its editors and proprietors — " Boston," alms 
"Big Ames" — First newspaper published in California — 
The Alta California — Sacramento Transcript and Placer 
Times— The Golden Era— Bvet Harte, Mark Twain and 
Prentice Mulford — San Francisco Picayune, Courier and 
Herald — Marysville Herald — Stockton Times — Sonora 
Herald 385 

"CALIFORNIA DAY" AT THE CENTENNIAL EX- 
HIBITION. 

Preliminary meeting in New York — Committee appointed — 
Rev. Albert Williams addresses the meeting — Programme 
of exercises — 'Forty-niners and other Californians present — 
Distinguished guests — Addresses by Hon. Rodman M. Price, 
Generals H. G. Gibson and Joe Hooker, Governor Curtin, 
General Sutter, Governor Hartranft and Colin M. Boyd — 
"Song of the Argonauts" — The banquet — Fire! fire! — 
Telegrams sent to San Francisco 398 

SECOND ANNUAL RE-UNION AND BANQUET OF 
" THE ASSOCIATED PIONEERS OF THE TERRI- 
TORIAL DAYS OF CALIFORNIA." 

Committee of Arrangements — Report of Secretary and Treas- 
urer Clark — Election of officers — The banquet — President 
Gibson's address — Addresses by General Thomas D. Johns, 
Joseph S. Spinney, Clark Bell, Colonel James M. Turner, 
Samuel C. Upham and Colonel John A. Godfrey. 424 

CELEBRATION OF "ADMISSION DAY" AT LONG 
BRANCH, N. J. 

Programme of exercises — Pioneers present — The_ banquet — 
General Gibson's address of welcome — Introduction of Gen- 
eral Sutter— Letters of regret— Mayor McKune's address — 
General Sutter's response— Poem— " The Land We Adore" 
— Bayard Taylor speaks a piece — "Song of the Argo- 
nauts " — Hop in the evening in honor of General Sutter — 
T&legram sent to California— The reply. . . 438 



XX CONTENTS. 

THIRD ANNUAL RE-UNION AND BANQUET OP 
" THE AHBOUIATED PIONEERS OF THE TERRI- 
TORIAL DAYS OE CALIFORNIA." 

Sccrolary and Treasurer Clark's report — President Gibson's 
annual address — Election of officers for the current year — 
The banquet — Progrannne of exercises — General II. G. Gib- 
son's address of welcome — Letters of regret — Prentice INIul- 
lord's address — Speec^hes by Judge Pratt, Colonel T. 13. 
Thorpe, Colonel Edward F. Burton, Clark Bell, J. J. 
McCloskey, Colonel Joe Lawrence, Hon. Denuis Strong, 
Joseph S. Spinney, Francis D. (^lark and General Thomas 
D. , Johns — " Y" Ancient Yuba Miner" — Notables present — 
" Song of the Argonauts " — Good-night. . . 456 

RECEPTION TO GENERAL JOHN C. FREMONT. 

Formal reception by General Fremont — Notables present — 
Decorations of the hall — The baiupiet — Vice-President Gib- 
son's address of welcome — General Fremont's response — 
Letters of regret read by the Secretary — Speeches, etc. 482 

RECEPTION TO HON. PHILIP A. ROACH. 

The banquet — General H. Gates Gibson's address of welcome — 
Senator Roach's response — Letters of regret — Notables pres- 
ent — Speeches, etc. 497 

DEDICATION OF THE LICK MONUJMENT AT 
FREDERICKSBURG, PA. 

En route to Fredericksburg — Reminiscences of the town — 
Genealogy of the Lick family — The house in which James 
Lick was born — The old graveyard — Cedar Hill Cemetery — • 
Unveiling and dedication of the monument — Addresses by 
Colonel J. P. S, Gobin, of Lebanon, aud Sanuiel C. Upham, 
of Philadelphia — Knights Templar inauguration cere- 
monies 504 

Making and raising the " Bear Flag." . . . 503 

Pioneer Organizations. ...... 566 

" Truckee," the Indian Guide. ..... 568 

" The Land AVe Adore," — Song and chorus. . . 570 
A tribute to Gen. Juo. A. Sutter, and a touching rei^ly. 573 
History of the inauguration and organization of the 
Associated Pioneers of the Territorial Days of Cali- 
fornia. ......... 575 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Portrait of the Author, 



Preceding Frontispieee. 



1. Portrait and Autograph of Gen. Sutter, 



Frontispiece, 

PAGE 



2. Harbor of Rio Janeiro, .... 

3. Mode of Nursing Children in Rio, . 

4. General View of Rio Janeiro, 

5. Portrait of Dom Pedro II, Emperor of Brazil 

6. The Osceola in a Gale off Cape Horn, 

7. Portrait and Autograph of Henry Meiggs, 

8. Entrance to the Golden Gate, 

9. Beach of Yerba Buena Cove, 1849, 

10. Post-office, 1849, 

11. The "Hounds" on a Rampage, 

12. Parker House and Dennison's Exchange, 1849, 

13. Interior of El Dorado Saloon, 1850, 

14. Sutter's Saw-Mill, Coloma, 1849, . 

15. City of Stockton, Fall of 1849, 

16. On the Road to the Mines, 



57 

62 

65 

85 

113 

143 

215 

219 

219 

223 

227 

227 

231 

235 

241 



* The illustrations in this volume are from Original Sketches, Da- 
guerreotypes, Photographs, the " Annals of San Francisco," and " Cali- 
fornia Illustrated." The two latter were published soon after the dis- 
covery of gold in California, and are now nearly out of print. Dr. John 
H. Gilion, a Phlladelphian, and one of the authors of the "Annals of 
Scm Francisco," died in one of the Southern States, three or four years ago. 
Frank Soule and James Nisbet, his associates, are, I believe, still living 
in San Francisco. Mr. J, M. Letts, author of "California Illustrated," 
is a resident of Staten Island, N.Y. The illustrations of San Francisco, 
Sacramento City, Stockton and the mining scenes were re-drawn and 
enlarged by Mr. F. E. Lummis, and engraved by David Scattergood. 
The Portraits were engraved by David Scattergood and C. II. Eeed. 

(xxi) 



XXll 



ILLUSTKATIONS. 



PAGE 

17. Miners at Work, 1849, 247 

18. Mining Scene, 1849, 251 

19. San Francisco, Winter of 1849-'50, . . . 255 

20. "Old Adobe" Custom-house, 1849-'50, . . . 263 

21. Old School-house, opposite the Plaza, . . . 269 

22. Muddy Streets, Winter of 1849-'50, . . .269 

23. Encampment at the " Embarcadero," Sacramento, 

1849, 305 

24. Sacramento City, 1850, 311 

25. Sutter's Fort, 1849, 319 

26. East Side Plaza, 1850, 355 

27. Departure of a Steamship, Fall of 1850, . . 359 

28. Pacific Coast Centennial Hall, . . . .401 

29. Portrait and Autograph of Mr. Francis D. Clark, . 433 

30. Y' Ancient Yuba Miner of the Days of '49, . . 475 
2 Silhouette Illustrations of Y° Ancient Yuba IMiner, 476 

ec (( a a ii u 4-77 
Q te a (I a (c c( 4.7R 

1 ti a li a ii ii 47Q 

38. Portrait and Autograph of James Lick, . . . 507 

39. " " John H. Lick, . . 511 

40. Lick Monument, Fredericksburg, Pa., . . . 517 

41. Fort and Port of San Francisco, 1843, . . .539 

42. Military Barracks of San Francisco, 1843, . . 543 

43. Town and Port of Yerba Buena, in San Francisco 

Bay, 1843, 553 

44. Kussian Fort Boss, Bodega, California, 1843, . . 557 



CHAPTEE I. 

The departure— Scramble to get on board— Last night on terra 
Jirma— Names of passengers— Departure from the Break- 
^yater— Discharge the pilot— Paying tribute to old Neptune 
—Storm at sea— Deck-load thrown overboard— Humorous 
incident— Brandy vs. Pilot-bread— Dissatisfaction among 
the steerage passengers— Captain Fairfowl shows his teeth 
—One of the sailors flogged— Mother Gary's chickens. 

Monday, January 15, 1849.— Carried my bag- 
gage on board the brig Osceola, Captain James 
Fairfowl, bound from Philadelpliia to San Fran- 
cisco, California. At eleven o'clock, P. M., bade 
adieu to wife, child and friends, and went on board 
the brig to spend the night, expecting to sail early 
the next morning. The weather being cold, and 
no fire in cabin or steerage, I slept very little 
during the night. Two brothers of the name of 
Kelly, companions en voyage, accompanied me on 
board. 

Tuesday, Jan. 16.— At eight o'clock, A. M., the 
City Ice-boat made fast to the Osceola, and we were 
soon passing slowly down the Delaware. In conse- 
quence of the early hour at which we got under way, 
not more than one-half of our passengers were on 
board when the Ice-boat made fast to us. "We had 
not, however, gotten fairly into the stream, before 
the belated passengers might be seen at different 
points along the wharves, swinging their hats and 

(23) 



24 LIST OF PASSENGEES. 

caps, and yelling at the highest pitch of their voices 
for the Osceola to slacken her speed and take them 
on board. One of the passengers, a corpulent indi- 
vidual, whom I shall designate as the Doctor, went 
shouting along the wharves until his safety-valve 
collapsed, and his steam and gas having become 
exhausted, he availed himself of the facilities offered 
by a boatman and came on board wheezing like a 
person afflicted with the asthma. Passengers came 
off to the brig at different points along the Delaware 
between Kace Street and the Navy Yard, and at 
the latter place the last straggler arrived. 

The folloAving is a list of the Osceola's passen- 
gers : Dr. Cassady, AVilliam Bassett, W. H. Bunn,» 
Wm. Freed, H. W. Gillingham, C. H. Bennett, J. 
Slaughter, A. Mecartney, W. McPherson Hill, 
George Guier, Jr., M. D., John A. Lessig, Pat. 
Langton, George W. Hart, C. W. H. Solinsky, 
Abram Powell, Wm. H. Graham, John E. Wain- 
wright, G. H. Weaver, T. P. Kleinhaus, AV. Wack, 
T. P. Dougherty, T. B. Butcher, Wm. Butcher, 
T. H. Bussell, S. K. Harman, Samuel Christ, 
H. B. Good, J. J. Cowden, J. A. Banks, Samuel 
C. Upham, Amos S. Kelly, Chas. S. Kelly, J. W. 
Folwell, T. J. Folwell, J. M'Clelland, David L. 
Munns, E. Boelime, Henry Prior, H. Shoenfield, 
H. Courvoisier, F. Dekirt, W. Arnold, J. Falls, 
John A. McCoy, J. Kellum, William Beenkin, C. 
Beenkin, F. Miller, J. Kimmell, J. Moore, J. Kep- 
heldt, F. Kline, H. Limberg, J. Hortsman, Hugh 
Brady, J. Hewdegan, George Dreka, John Hey- 
berger, T. S. Berger, Wm. Fetters, George AVilson, 



DISCHARGE THE PILOT. 25 

H. K. Cummings, K, M. Patterson, Charles Weld- 
ing, Henry Hyde — G5 passengers : Caj^tain, mates 
and crew, 15, making together 80 souls on board. 

At seven o'clock, P. M., we arrived at New Cas- 
tle, Del,, where we made fast alongside the wharf 
for the night. During the evening a majority of 
the passengers went on shore for the purpose of 
having a jollification, prior to a six months' cruise 
at sea. They came on board about two o'clock 
next morning as mellow as peaches, and several 
of them will remember for a long time the last 
night on terra firma previous to leaving for San 
Francisco. Moderate breeze from S. W. Weather 
clear and cold. 

Wednesday, Jan. 17. — At seven o'clock, A. M., 
the Ice-boat got under way, and we jDroceeded 
down the river. At seven o'clock, P. M., we cast 
off and came to anchor inside the Delaware Break- 
water, with thirty-five fathoms of chain. The Ice- 
boat, in coming alongside with Captain Fairfowd, 
ran into us and stove our larboard main-rail badly. 
Passengers have been busily engaged during the 
afternoon writing letters to their wives, sweethearts 
and friends, with a view to sending them on shore 
by the pilot, who is expected to leave us to-night. 
After several efforts, I finally succeeded in scrib- 
bling a note to my wife, using my hat-box for a 
writing-desk. Weather cloudy and very cold. 
Wind S. W. 

Thursday, Jan. 18. — At half-past eleven o'clock, 
A. M., weighed anchor and stood out to sea, and at 
twelve o'clock, M., discharged the pilot. On leav- 



26 PAYING TRIBUTE TO OLD NEPTUNE. 

ing the brig lie received three hearty cheers from 
the passengers, and when his boat receded from 
our view the last link that bound us to terra jirma 
was severed. A fine breeze springing up toward 
night enabled us to lay our course and scud along 
at the rate of ten knots an hour. Strong breeze 
from N. W. Clear and cold. 

Friday, Jan. 19. — Wind still fair, but the 
weather is cloudy and cold. Of the sixty-five 
passengers, all are sea-sick with the exception of 
three. The lee-rail is completely lined with de- 
moralized passengers, who are paying their tribute 
to old Neptune. Those who are not able to pay 
their respects to the deity of the great deep over 
the rail, are casting up their accounts in buckets, 
w^ash-basins and spittoons. In consequence of the 
coldness of the weather, I remained in my berth 
all day. Considerable excitement was caused to- 
day in consequence of the man at the wheel being 
found slightly inebriated. This led to an in- 
vestigation of the matter, and in searching the 
forecastle a jug of whisky was found in the chest 
of one of the sailors, which the Captain ordered 
thrown overboard. Distance sailed, 184 miles. 
Latitude 37° 47'. 

Saturday, Jan. 20. — This morning wind light 
and baffling, being barely sufficient to keep the 
brig steady. At ten o'clock, A. M., passed the 
ship St. Louis, bound west. Sea-sick passengers 
look better this mornin<r. Those that are able to 
crawl out of their berths are on the pooj^-deck 
taking the benefit of a little sunshine. D. L. 



A SCANT MEAL. 27 

Munns and S. C. Upliam were to-day appointed 
by the Captain to divide the steerage passengers 
into messes. They Avere accordingly arranged into 
four messes of nine joersons each — two occupying 
the starboard and two the larboard side of the 
steerage. Several squalls during the afternoon, ac- 
comj)anied by hail. Distance sailed, 109 miles. 
Lat. 36° 41'. Thermometer at M. 25°. 

Sunday, Jan. 21. — Eight o'clock, A. M. The 
wind has been blowing a j^erfect gale from S. S. E. 
since midnight; brig laboring and straining very 
much, and shij^ping heavy seas. Owing to the 
rough weather, the passengers are nearly all sea- 
sick again. No cooking and but little eating done 
to-day in consequence of the galley having been 
unshipped by a heavy sea. Distance sailed, 128 
miles. No observation. Therm, at M. 27°. 

Monday, Jan. 22. — Wind still continues blowing 
fresh from S. S. E., accompanied by rain. Cook's 
galley fitted up to-day ; started a fire, and the cook 
commenced oj^erations in the culinary line. The 
steerage passengers com2:>lain bitterly of a scanty 
allowance of food, also of the manner in which it is 
cooked. A small codfish and two dozen potatoes 
were served up to-day for dinner for thirty-six 
steerage passengers. This circumstance being re- 
ported to the Caj)tain, he j)romises that all shall be 
right on this score hereafter. Distance sailed, 116- 
miles. Lat. 35° 53". Therm, at M. 26°. 

Tuesday, Jan. 23. — Seven o'clock, A. M. Fine 
breeze from the N. E., which enables the brig to 
lay her course and make about eight knots an hour., 



28 A WAR OF WORDS. 

Have had several light showers during the day, but 
the atmosphere is delightful. The passengers have 
nearly all recovered from their sea-sickness, and 
are lounging about the decks amusing themselves 
in various ways. They have not yet gotten their 
sea-legs on, consequently, cannot walk about the 
decks very readily. Passed a brig to-day, bound 
west, but could not make her out. Distance sailed, 
176 miles. Lat. 34° 23'. Therm, at M. 25°. 

Wednesday, Jan. 24. — Wind from the north ; 
brig rolls lazily over the water, making little 
headway. Have been visited to-day by rain and 
sunshine, alternately. Several of the steerage pas- 
sengers have spread their mattresses and blankets 
on deck for the purpose of drying them in the sun. 
Owing to the leaky condition of the deck, the 
upper tier of steerage berths have been saturated 
with w^ater since leaving Philadelphia. The Cap- 
tain and second mate had an altercation this morn- 
ing, in wdiicli they called each other everything but 
gentlemen. This war of words ended by the Cap- 
tain sending the mate below and putting him off 
duty. Passed three vessels during the day. Dis- 
tance sailed, 157 miles. Lat. 34° 11'. Therm, at 
M. 28°. 

Thursday, Jan. 25. — Fine breeze from the N. 
E. and weather clear. All sails set by the wind. 
The steerage passengers still complain of their ac- 
commodations. They have been grossly imposed 
upon by Burling & Dixon, owners of the brig. 
A large portion of the steerage is occupied with 
freight and luggage belonging to the cabin passen- 



PASSENGERS ASSIST THE CREW. 29 

gers. Bills of lading having been executed for 
the freight it should have been stored in the hold 
of the brig or left on shore. A flying-fish was 
found on deck this morning, it having flown on 
board durino; the nic-lit. It was cooked and eaten 
by one of the j^assengers. Distance sailed, 143 
miles. Lat. 32° 41'. Therm, at M. 27°. 

Friday, Jan. 26. — Throughout the last twenty- 
four hours heavy squalls accompanied by rain. 
Brig laboring and straining very much, and ship- 
ping heavy seas. The jib was split to-day during 
a severe squall. The steerage passengers assisted 
the crew in shortening sail. The Osceola, left 
Philadelphia without a full crew, having only six 
men and two boys before the mast to work a brig 
of two hundred and seventy-six tons burthen, 
around Cape Horn. Distance sailed, 140 miles. 
Lat. 31° 21'. Therm, at M. 33°. 

Saturday, Jan. 27. — Gale still continues with 
increased violence. Top-sails double-reefed ; sea 
running very high and brig straining badly. In 
the afternoon, the crew commenced shifting deck- 
load, which was somewhat wet and damaged. Found 
that the water in one cask had entirely leaked out, 
and another cask was only one-third full. Burling 
& Dixon, in their hurry to get the brig to sea, 
caused the water-casks to be filled without having 
the hoops tightened, hence the result. If the casks 
in the hold are in the same condition as those on 
deck, we shall most certainly be on a short allow- 
ance of water in the tropics. Distance sailed, 72 
milesr Lat. 30° 41'. Therm, at M. 36°. 



oO A SEVERE GALE. 

Siuidaij, Jan. 28. — Morning, wind light and baf- 
fling ; meridian, wind has died away and it is nearly 
a dead calm. Afternoon, light squalls accompanied 
by rain. For several days past, a few of the steer- 
age passengers have been in favor of having their 
rations weighed ont, wdiile others have opposed the 
measure. This morning the Captain gave the first 
mate orders to serve out naval rations to the steer- 
age passengers until further orders. Passengers 
and crew served with water this morning — three 
quarts to each person. This afternoon the crew 
removed the " iceboards " from the bow of the brig. 
Distance sailed, 31 miles. Lat. 30° 52'. Therm, 
at M. 40°. 

Monday, Jan. 29. — At daylight this morning the 
wind suddenly increased to a gale. We were com- 
j^elled to hard-up the helm in order to get the can- 
vas off the brig. At eight o'clock, A. M., hove to 
under close-reefed maintop-sail and stay-sail, with 
a heavy sea running, wdiicli caused the brig to 
strain very much. To add to our peril, the foi'- 
ward cabin now began to work with the strain of 
the deck-load. The safety of the brig compelled 
the Captain to give orders to heave overboard the 
principal part of the deck-load to ease her. With 
the exception of a few ship's stores, it belonged to 
the passengers, and consisted of provisions, brandy, 
house-frames and gold-washers. Unfortunately, 
several of the passengers had their entire freight on 
deck, consisting of j^rovisions for their subsistence 
in California. Poor fellows ! they will be in a sad 
plight on arriving in iSan Francisco, almost penni- 



Aisr AMUSING INCIDENT. 31 

less and without provisions. The throwing over- 
board a cargo at sea for the purpose of saving the 
ship is anything but agreeable when nothing but 
a j)lank separates one from eternity. During the 
gale the following ludicrous incident occurred : 
While all hands, passengers and crew, were busily 
engaged staving in the heads and throwing over- 
board brandy, molasses and vinegar casks, a fellow- 
passenger, who had 

" Done the State some service " 

during the late war with Mexico, and being withal 
a great lover of whisky, caught up from off the 
deck both hands full of a mixture of brandy, mo- 
lasses, vinegar and salt water, and after taking a 
hearty swig, exclaimed, ^^Jimminy, boys, this isjirst- 
rate swanheyT The same individual, during the 
destruction of the brandy casks, labored extremely 
hard to preserve one from the general wreck, which 
on being broached, jiroved to be, to his great chagrin, 
a brandy cask filled with j)ilot-bread. 

While the casks composing the deck-load were 
waltzing to one of the tunes of old Boreas, the two 
ship's boys and one of the passengers had their 
propellers slightly injured. Distance sailed, 116 
miles. Lat. 31° 45'. Therm, at M. 44°. 

Tuesday, Jan. 30. — Went on deck at six o'clock 
this morning and found the gale still raging; 
brig under close-reefed sails. The main-hatch was 
broken out to-day for the purpose of getting at the 
water, all on deck having been used. In conse- 
quence of the leaky condition of the casks, one- 



32 IMPOSITION OF BURLING & DIXON. 

third of the water was found to have leaked out of 
each of the five casks broken out. We sliall most 
certainly suffer for the want of fresh water before 
reaching Kio de Janeiro. 

Owing to the crowded state of the brig, the ac- 
commodations in cabins and steerasje are miserable. 
The passengers belonging to the latter, in particular, 
have been shamefully imposed U23on by the owners, 
as the following facts will fully dem.onstrate : — 

When the steerage berths were taken, a table 
was fitted up for the use of the j)assengers, at 
which thirty persons could be comfortably seated, 
and the steerage was tolerably Avell lighted by sky- 
lights. When the Osceola was on the eve of leav- 
ing the j)ort of Philadelphia, the table and seats 
were removed by order of the owners of the brig, 
and the space occupied by them stowed with cases 
chests and trunks, a large ^^oi'tion of which be- 
longed to the cabin passengers ; consequently, the 
steerage j^assengers have been compelled to mess on 
chicken-coops, pig-pens, water-casks and trunks, 
subjected to almost every imaginable inconvenience. 
In fact, the brig has been a perfect Hades since she 
sailed from Philadelphia. The steerage of the brig 
contains less than six hundred and fifty superficial 
feet, and there are forty-four souls, including mates, 
stewards and cooks, who sleep in it, which is twelve 
persons more than is allowed by the laws of the 
United States to passenger vessels passing through 
the tropics. Distance sailed, 124 miles. Lat. 31° 
07'. Therm, at M. 49°. 

Wednesday, Jan. 31. — Went on deck this morn- 



DUFF FOK BREAKFAST. 66 

ing at seven o'clock and found the brig jum2:>ing 
through the water at the rate of eight knots an 
hour, with starboard studding-sails all set. This is 
the most delightful day experienced since leaving 
Philadelj^hia. We had a partial break-out in the 
steerage to-day, which has added very much to the 
convenience of the passengers. The Captain or- 
dered the booby-hatch removed for the purjDose of 
more thoroughly ventilating the steerage. The 
brig has no wind-sails on board, but the Ca2:)tain 
has 23romised to have one made for the steerage at 
once. Distance sailed, 49 miles. Lat. 30° 44'. 
Therm, at M. 56°. 

Thursday, Feb. 1. — Eight o'clock, A. ]M., fine 
breeze from W. S. AV. and clear. Studding-sails 
set below and aloft, and brig making eight knots 
an hour, which is all we can get out of the old tub. 
This being duff-day, the flour and raisins were 
served out last evening to the caterers of the steer- 
age messes for their duff. The ingredients were 
accordingly mixed and taken to the cook last even- 
ing in order that they might be put into the coppers 
early this morning to boil for dinner ; but the boys, 
on going to the galley for their coffee, were taken all 
aback by the cook's presenting them with their duff 
for breakfast, piping hot, a mistake chargeable to 
the misplaced zeal of the son of a sea-cook ! The 
circumstance was reported to the Captain, who gave 
the cook orders in future not to boil duff for break- 
fast ! Distance sailed, 158 miles. Lat. 30° bo'. 
Therm, at M. 63°. 

Friday, Feb. 2. — This is my birthday. Thirty 



34 EEALITY VS. EOMAISTCE. 

years old to-day. Have been a rolling-stone all 
my life, consequently have gathered no moss. Am 
now in search of " the golden fleece," and may re- 
turn shorn. JVous vcrrons! At eleven o'clock last 
night the wind commenced blowing a gale from N. 
N. E. At twelve o'clock sj^lit foretop-sail ; soon 
after sent down royal-yards and hove the brig to. 
At eight o'clock this morning repaired top-sail and 
let the close reef out of the maintop-sail. At 
meridian, the storm abated somewhat, but the sea 
is still running very high, causing the brig to labor 
heavily and ship an occasional sea. Commenced 
reading to-day a work entitled " What I Sav7 in 
California," by Edwin Bryant, in which I am 
deeply interested. Mr. Bryant traveled the over- 
land route to California, via Independence, Mis- 
souri; and I regret very much that I did not take 
the same route in preference to this, via Cape 
Horn. Descrij)tions of a "life on the ocean wave" 
read very prettily on shore, but the reality of a sea 
voyage speedily dispels the romance. Distance 
sailed, 84 miles. Lat. 29° bb'. Therm, at M. QS°. 
Saturday, Feb. 3. — Went on deck at six o'clock 
this morning, found the reefs all let out and the 
light sails set ; brig sailing six knots an hour. The 
wind continuing fair in the afternoon, the Captain 
ordered the larboard topmast and top-gallant stud- 
ding-sails set, which caused the brig to bound mer- 
rily over the water, shortening the distance between 
us and the golden land to which we are bound. 
God grant that we may have a safe and sj^eedy pas- 
sage to our port of destination, and that, on our 



MOSQUITOES AND MI]!^ISTEES. 35 

arrival, our most sanguine expectations may be 
realized. Distance sailed, 166 miles. Lat. 30° 17'. 
Therm, at M. 71°. 

Smiday, Feb. 4. — To-day, wind light and baffling, 
but the weather is delightfully pleasant. Being 
religiously inclined I borrowed a Bible from a 
fellow-passenger — not being provided with one my- 
self — read a chapter, and cogitated in my mind 
a sermon suited to the occasion. I regret exceed- 
ingly that I did not bring a Bible and Prayer-Book 
with me, for I expect to do my own preaching 
during the next two years. California will joroba- 
bly be better supplied with mosquitoes than minis- 
ters. Distance sailed, 125 miles. Lat. 29° bb'. 
Therm, at M. 67°. 

Ilonday, Feb. 5. — Fine breeze from W. S. W., 
w^eather clear and ^^leasant. Passengers assisted the 
crew in breaking out the main-hold for w\ater and 
provisions. Found the water in two of the casks 
nearly half leaked out, which fully confirms in my 
mind a previously-expressed opinion that we shall 
run short of fresh water before reaching Rio de 
Janeiro. Several of the passengers have already 
become weary of a sea voyage, and have been talk- 
ing very strongly to-day of leaving the Osceola at 
Bio, crossing the Andes to Valparaiso, and awaiting 
there the arrival of the brig, thus avoiding the pas- 
sage around Cape Horn. I consider the project 
an insane one, one which I would not attempt for 
any earthly consideration, and shall use my best 
endeavors to dissuade others from hazarding their 
lives-in an undertaking so futile and foolhardy. 



36 SHOET ALLOWANCE OF WATEK. 

The distance across from Kio to Valparaiso is far 
greater than at any other point on the continent of 
South America, and the journey would be attended 
with incredible hardship and suffering. Having 
paid my passage to San Frnncisco on board the 
brig Osceola, I intend, if my life be spared, to 
remain by her until she reaches that port or goes to 
Davy Jones's locker. Distance sailed, 92 miles. 
Lat. 28° 27'. Therm, at M. 78°. 

Tuesday, Feb. 6. — This morning, at daylight, 
weather fair with a fresh breeze from N. N. E. 
The brig is making nine knots an hour, which is 
something remarkable for her, and all hands, in- 
cluding the cook, feel jolly. At ten o'clock, A. M., 
we exchano-ed siojnals with a French briar steerino; 
N. N, W. The crew, assisted by the j^assengers, 
broke out the main-hold again to-day in search of 
water. More leaky casks found, in consequence of 
which the Captain has put all hands on an allow- 
ance of five pints of water to each person. Yester- 
day, we struck the " trades," in longitude 37° 20. 
Distance sailed, 182 miles. Lat. 2G° 31'. Therm, 
at M. 71°. 

Wednesday, Feb. 7. — Throughout to-day, fresh 
breeze from N. E., with occasional squalls and light 
rain. The cabin passengers have been growling 
for some time about their miserable accommoda- 
tions, and to-day have declared war to the knife. 
They have resolved to hold an indignation meeting, 
and on their arrival at Kio de Janeiro to report the 
proceedings with their grievances to the American 
consul at that port, and ask his interference in the 



ANOTHER WAR OF WORDS. 37 

matter. They swear by all the saints in the calen- 
dar that the Osceola shall not leave Kio until mat- 
ters are adjusted to their entire satisfaction. Both 
cabin and steerage passengers have much cause for 
complaint, and I sincerely hope that justice may be 
done to all on board before the Osceola leaves Kio. 
Distance sailed, 190 miles. Lat. 24° 22'. Therm, 
at M. 69^ 

Thursday^ Feb. 8. — We crossed the Tropic of 
Cancer to-day and may expect excessively hot 
weather until we cross Capricorn. Last evening an 
altercation occurred between the Captain and first 
mate, Mr. Howell, in relation to the pumps, which 
resulted in the latter being put off duty. During 
the controversy they were not very choice in their 
selections from the King's English. The opinions 
of the passengers, in relation to this matter, appear 
to be about equally divided, although I am inclined 
to the belief that were a vote of all on board regis- 
tered, a majority would be found in favor of the 
mate. To-day we have been favored with a fair 
breeze from the north-east, and all drawing sails 
have been set. Distance sailed, 176 miles. Lat. 
22° 15'. Therm, at M. 71°. 

Friday, Feb, 9. — The weather this morning is as 
clear and balmy as a May morning in Philadel- 
phia, and the brig is gliding along at the rate of 
eight knots an hour. 

In consequence of the first mate being ofi* duty, 
the first watch last night was kept by one of the 
passengers, who in early life had served on board 
a man-of-war. There is nothing, in my opinion, 

3 



38 A SAILOK FLOGGED. 

more essential to the safety of a vessel and tlie lives 
of lier passengers than harmony among her officers. 
The Captain and mates of the Osceola have been at 
loggerheads since leaving Philadelphia, and God 
only knows how mncli longer this asperity of feel- 
ing will continue to exist betw^een them. 

A brig, supposed to be the Oniotay bound for 
San Francisco, which sailed from Philadelphia five 
days ahead of the Osceola, has been on our weather- 
quarter, five miles distant, during the afternoon, 
but we are now rapidly leaving her astern. We 
are to-day in the latitude of the Cape de Verde 
Islands, and about thirty hours' sail, Osceola time, 
to the westward of them. Distance sailed, 174 
miles. Lat. 19° 53'. Therm, at M. 72°. 

Saturday, Feb. 10. — Went on deck at seven 
o'clock this morning, and found the weather de- 
lightfully pleasant. The brig is being wafted 
along by the trade-winds at the rate of eight knots 
an hour. The Captain flogged one of the sailors 
this morning for a trifling misdemeanor, and the 
passengers have been gathered in knots about the 
deck, during the forenoon, discussing the matter. 
The majority appear to be opposed to corporeal 
punishment, but are willing to admit that the safety 
of the brig depends on the maintenance of strict 
discipline. 

During the twenty-four hours ending at twelve 
o'clock,.M-j to-day, the Osceola has sailed 205 miles, 
being a greater distance than she has made during 
any previous day since leaving the Ca2")es of the 
Delaware, Three cheers for the Osceola ! She 



MOTHER CARY's CHICKENS. 39 

certainly smells land. Several flying-fisli came on 
board during last night. I have j^reserved one of 
their wings as a memento of the tropics. Lat. 
1G° 52'. Therm, at M. 75°. 

Sunday J Feb. 11. — Although it has been hazy 
to-day, the weather has not been oppressive in 
consequence of the trade-winds, which in this 
latitude are bracing and invigorating. This morn- 
ing, Mr. Howell, the first mate, presented me with 
a Bible, for which I feel very grateful. Law and 
physic have several votaries on board the Osceolay 
but divinity has not a single representative. 
During the day I have noticed several flocks of 
" Mother Gary's chickens" flying around the brig 
and skimming over the surface of the water. 
These little messengers of the deep are of the size 
and color of a swallow, and are regarded by most 
sailors with feelings of superstition and reverential 
awe. Some mariners fully believe them to be the 
winged spirits of their dej)arted comrades, and 
consider it a great sacrilege to attemj)t to capture 
or kill them. Distance sailed, 202 miles. Lat. 
13° 53'. Therm, at M. 76°. 



CHAPTER II. 

Cruising in the tropics — Cabin passengers have a jollification 
— Cross the equator — Visit the bark Crotoii — Dissecting a 
shark — Passengers present a petition to Captain Fairfowl — 
A duel in embryo — Celebration of Washington's Birthday 
— Steerage passengers on short allowance — Gambling on 
board — Welcome visitors — Land, ho ! — Enter the harbor 
of Rio de Janeiro — Impressions on beholding it — First 
hour on shore. 

Monday, February 12. — The weatlier continues 
close and liazy, with strong indications of rain. 
The trade-winds are gradually dying away, and we 
shall probably be becalmed before reaching the 
equator. 

As we were nearing the head-quarters of old 
Neptune yesterday afternoon, a letter addressed to 
His Highness was thrown overboard by one of his 
subjects, informing him that there were several 
candidates for initiation on board the Osceola. 
Early this morning a reply was received from 
the old salt, stating that he would board us as we 
" crossed the line " of his dominions, for the exj^ress 
l^urpose of j^erforming the " awful and terrifying " 
ceremonies of initiation, and requesting the candi- 
dates to be in readiness, as he could not be detained 
long from home, in consequence of the ill-health of 
Mrs. NeiDtune, Distance sailed, 192 miles. Lat. 
11° 04'. Therm, at M. 77°. 

(40) 



BEST TIME YET MADE. 41 

Tuesday Feb. 13. — The weather is as warm to- 
day as it is in Philadelphia in midsummer, and 
were it not for the trade-winds the heat would be 
very oppressive. To-day the caterers of the steer- 
age messes made a complaint to the Captain in 
relation to the quality and quantity of provisions 
received by them from the cook. He has promised 
to provide the steerage passengers with a cook and 
galley, on the arrival of the brig at Rio. If this 
promise is not adhered to, a full report of our 
grievances will be made to the American consul. 
Distance sailed to-day, 225 miles! Best time yet 
made. Hurrah for the old tub! Lat. 7° 45'. 
Therm, at M. 80°. 

Wednesday, Feb. 14. — Owing to the excessive 
heat, I slept very little last night, and throughout 
the day the weather has been very oppressive. 
Several of the passengers remained on deck last 
night rather than submit to a vapor-bath in their 
berths. Took a salt-water bath this evening, and 
feel very much refreshed. Distance sailed, 184 
miles. Lat. 4° 41'. Therm, at M. 82°. 

Thursday, Feb. 15. — When I went on deck, at 
six o'clock this morning, the wind was light and 
baffling, with every indication of a calm. The 
brig has not made more than four knots an hour 
during the night. At twelve o'clock, M., it was 
nearly a dead calm, and the sails flapped lazily 
against the masts. In the afternoon we had a light 
fall of rain, accompanied by baffling breezes. This 
forenoon saw a hermaphrodite brig steering south 
by west, probably bound for Rio de Janeiro. This 



42 STILL NORTH OF THE EQUATOR. 

afternoon ran into a school of skip-jacks, a species 
of the fumy tribe found in abundance in this lati- 
tude. They are about two feet in length when full 
grown, very plump, and of a deep purple color. 
The morning watch was kept by one of the ship's 
boys — a juvenile watch officer! Distance sailed, 
134 miles. Lat. 2° 28'. Therm, at M. 81°. 

Friday, Feb. IG. — We have been becalmed all 
day within one hundred miles of the equator. 
Last night the weather was so excessively hot that 
a majority of the passengers slept on deck. During 
the night, four of the first cabin passengers, not 
having the fear of "delirium triangles" before their 
eyes, took it into their heads to have a jollification. 
They made night hideous with their drunken rev- 
elry, to the great annoyance and disgust of those 
who were more quietly disposed. To cap the 
climax, one of the revelers had an attack of mania 
apotii this morning, which I think will have a 
tendency to check his bacchanalian j^i'opensities in 
future. Distance sailed, 58 miles. Lat. 1° 30'. 
Therm, at M. 8G°. " Jerusalem, my happy home," 
how hot it is ! 

Saturday, Feb. 17. — AVe are still north of the 
equator, having been becalmed during last niglit 
and this forenoon. I slejit on top of the cabin last 
night with nothing but the canopy of heaven for 
coverinc;. Earlv this niornino; the mate cau2;lit an al- 
bicore, being the first fish caught with a hook and line 
during the passage, although several lines have been 
trailing over the stern of the brig the past ten days. 
During the last week we have seen small fish in 



ACEOSS THE LINE. 43 

abundance, but tliey do not seem to be very hungry. 
It has been rainy and squally all the afternoon, 
still it remains very hot and oppressive. Distance 
sailed, 30 miles. Lat. 1° 13'. Therm, at M. 84°. 

Sunday, Feb. 18. — It rained incessantly through- 
out last night. It seemed as though the flood-gates 
of heaven had been opened especially for our bene- 
fit. The rain ceased at daylight, and a fresh breeze 
from W. S. W. has enabled us to glide along at the 
rate of seven knots an hour this forenoon. During 
the night we caught a barrel of rain-water, which 
has enabled the passengers to indulge in the luxury 
of a fresh-water wash — the first since leaving 
Philadelphia. This morning one of the j^assengers 
caught a bonito weighing thirty pounds, which was 
served up for dinner. A large school of blackfish 
]3assed us this morning to the leeward, half a mile 
distant. We crossed the equinoctial line about ten 
o'clock, in longitude 25° 40'. Neptune did not honor 
us with a visit, in consequence, I presume, of its 
being Sunday. Distance sailed, 83 miles. Lat. 0° 
ir south. Therm, at M. 80°. 

Monday, Feb. 19. — Another dead calm through- 
out to-day. It seems as though we were never to get 
out of the " horse latitude." Yesterday evening a 
bark was discovered to the windward heading for 
Kio. Early this morning we exchanged colors with 
her, and at ten o'clock, A. M., our stern boat was 
lowered and manned with 2:)assengers, for the pur- 
pose of boarding her. At one o'clock, P. M., our 
boat returned with a dozen passengers from the 
stranger, which proved to be the bark Croton, Cap- 



44 A SOCIAL VISIT AT SEA. 

tain D. V. Souillard, which sailed from New York 
on the IGth ultimo, bound for San Francisco, with 
fifty-four passengers on board. During the after- 
noon, the boats of both vessels have been busily 
engaged carrying the passengers to and fro. " Some 
fifteen or twenty of the Crofon's passengers dined 
with us, and about the same number of our passen- 
gers partook of a collation on board that vessel. 
The wine bottle passed merrily around, and wit, 
sentiment and song imparted zest to the scene. 
Mirth and hilarity reigned pre-eminent, and every- 
thing went as 

" Merry as a marriage bell," 

until toward night one of our passengers, who had 
imbibed too much whisky, kicked up a row on 
board the Croton, which resulted in his being 
brought on board the brig by his shipmates and 
placed in durance. The accommodations of the j)as- 
senirers on board the Crotoii are most admirable. 
They are so much su2:)erior to ours, that one of our 
passengers offered f 150 to any one on board that 
vessel who would exchange berths with him. The 
offer was not accepted. Distance sailed, 35 miles. 
Lat. 0° 28'. Therm, at M. ^o\ 

Tuesday, Feb. 20. — The brig's awning was spread 
to-day for the first time during the passage, although 
for the past ten days we have, when on deck, been 
exposed to the broiling rays of a tropical sun. We 
are still within one degree of the equator, having 
made only five minutes of latitude during the past 
twenty-four hours. In consequence of the con- 



DISSECTING A SHARK. 45 

tinued calm and the low state of our fresh water, 
each person to-day received his allowance of water 
separately, which called into requisition all the 
empty bottles, jugs and jars that could be found on 
board the brig. 

This morning one of the passengers caught a 
shark seven feet in length, and in less than twenty 
minutes after having been landed on deck, he was 
literally "used ui^." Never was a shark more 
thoroughly dissected. His vertebrae were cut out 
and divided among the passengers, each receiving 
a joint as a memento of his sharkship. Distance 
sailed, only eight miles ! Lat. 0° 33'. Therm, at 
M. 84°. 

Wednesday, Feb. 21. — Since sunrise we have 
been favored with a light but fair breeze from 
E. S. E. God grant that it may continue until we 
reach Kio. Yesterday morning, I was appointed 
one of a committee of three to present to Captain 
Fairfowl a petition signed by fifty-one of our pas- 
sengers, i^rotesting against the first mate's watch 
being kept by incompetent persons, thereby endan- 
gering the lives of all on board ; also requesting in 
resjDCCtful terms the restoration of the first mate to 
duty. This afternoon a written reply was received 
from the Captain, stating that he hoped to reach 
Kio in safety, but would not comply with our re- 
quest in relation to the mate, refusing in positive 
terms to restore him to duty so long as he (the 
Captain) " breathed the breath of life." 

The sun being obscured to-day, the old skipper 



46 Washington's birthday. 

was unable to take an observation. Distance sailed, 
as per log, 45 miles. Therm, at M. 80°. 

Thursday y Feb, 22. — Last niglit, at twelve 
o'clock, we made the south-east " trades," and to- 
day we have been skimming along at the rate of six 
knots an hour. In consequence of the excessively 
hot weather, and want of exercise, two of the first- 
cabin passengers have had an attack of the rabies, 
and not having the fear of man before their eyes, 
have concluded to have coffee and pistols for two 
served up on their arrival in Kio. A challenge has 
been given and accepted, and all the preliminaries 
arranged by the seconds, to the apparent satisfaction 
of both parties. 

" It lias a strange, quick jar upon the ear, 
That cocking of a pistol, when you know 

A moment more will bring the sight to bear 
Upon your person, twelve yards off, or so ; 

A gentlemanly distance, not too near, 
If you have got a former friend or foe ; 

But after being fired at once or twice, 

The car becomes more Irish, and less nice." 

To-day being the anniversary of the birth of 
Washington, the ensign and pennant of the Osceola 
have been flying in the breeze since daylight this 
morning. At meridian, a salute with small-arms 
was fired by the passengers in honor of the day, 
and several National airs were played by the " EI 
Dorado Band." Daring the afternoon, speeches 
appropriate to the occasion were delivered by five 
of the passengers. The jubilee was kept up until 



CAPTAIN FAIEFOWL AND POTATOES. 47 

a late hour in tlie evening. Distance sailed, 120 
miles. Lat. 3° 32'. Therm, at M. 84°. 

Friday, Feb. 23. — Fair wind continues. Brig 
making seven knots an hour. In compliance with 
the Captain's request, I have to-day written out a 
list of provisions for thirty-six steerage passengers 
for seventeen weeks, as per scale of U. S. Naval 
rations, and, on our arrival at Kio, he has promised 
to purchase such provisions as are deficient, in order 
to com})lete the list. An altercation occurred this 
morning between the Captain and several of the 
steerage passengers in relation to their ration of 
Irish potatoes. The Captain and steerage p)assen- 
gers are continually at loggerheads. Scarcely a day 
passes without a shindy being kicked up between 
them. Saw two vessels to-day to leeward; one a 
brig bound south, the other a Belgian bark home- 
ward bound. Distance sailed, 200 miles. Lat. 
5° 43'. Therm, at M. 84°. 

Saturday, Feb. 24. — The atmosphere is clear to- 
day, and the weather as balmy as a June day in 
Yankee land. The trade wind is wafting us along 
at the rate of eight knots an hour. The skirmish 
that commenced yesterday between the Captain and 
the steerage passengers, in relation to potatoes, as- 
sumed a more warlike aspect this morning, and the 
old skipper has given orders to the cook to cook no 
more potatoes for the steerage passengers. He also 
said he would throw the potatoes overboard rather 
than have them served to the steerage messes. 
This last straw has broken the camel's back, and a 
spirit of indignation prevails throughout the brig in 



48 CAPTAIN FAIRFOWL A SEA-TYRANT. 

regard to Ciiptain Fairfowl's treatment of the steer- 
age passengers. He is a sea-tyrant, and totally 
nnfit to eommand a passenger vessel. The dinner 
for the steerage passengers to-day consisted of boiled 
codjixh and hard tach — all told ! If a more rascalhj 
dinner was ever placed before a like number of 
Christians when on a short allowance of water in a 
tropical climate, with the thermometer at 85° in the 
shade, and when surrounded with provisions in 
abundance, I have yet to learn Avliat it consisted of. 

The truth of the matter is, there is the d to 

pay, and no Irish potatoes to cancel the debt! 
Distance sailed, 173 miles. Lat. 8° 21'. Therm, 
at M. 85°. 

Sundaij, Feb. 25. — The trade winds continued 
throughout last night and this forenoon. Sunday 
has proved a very lucky day to me ever since leav- 
ing Philadelphia. Two weeks ago to-day, I was 
presented with a Bible, and to-day a fellow-passen- 
ger of the name of Patterson, a relative, I presume, 
of Billy P. of pugilistic memory, presented me with 
an Episcopal Prayer-Book, which I have been read- 
ing nearly all day. Should I have the good luck 
to obtain a Hymn Book before reaching California, 
I shall, on my arrival in that far-off land, possess 
the requisite documents for commencing the pro- 
fession of itinerant preacher. This afternoon, one 
of the steerage passengers shot a ganet as it was 
llvins: over the briir, but it fell overboard and was 
lost. The ganet is of the fish-hawk genus, and in 
size and color of plumage resembles that bird very 
closely. The potato war that raged with so much 



A LATE DINNER. 49 

fury yesterday, lias gradually subsided. Distance 
sailed, 163 miles. Lat. 10° 33'. Therm, at M. 84°. 

Monday^ Feb. 26. — Our water, wliicli has been 
remarkably good until within the j^ast few days, is 
undergoing the process of fermentation, which ren- 
ders it very unpalatable. The potato war broke 
out again to-day, in consequence of no dinner being 
cooked for the steerage passengers. The circum- 
stance was reported to the Caj^tain, who imputed 
the fault to the cook, and he in return swore 2:)oint- 
blank that he had received no orders to cook dinner 
for the steerage passengers ! The dinner, however, 
was ordered to be cooked, and, at the fashionable 
hour of four o'clock, P. M., we dined on bean soup 
and pork, confident in the belief that a late dinner 
was better than no dinner at all. The brig has 
been steering her course to-day at the rate of seven 
knots an hour. During the day we have sighted 
four vessels ; two bound north-east, and with one, 
an American whaler, homeward bound, we ex- 
changed colors. One of the other vessels was bound 
south-east, for the Cape of Good Hope ; the other 
was a bark, bound north-east, with her we ex- 
changed colors, but could not make out her nation- 
ality. Distance sailed, 170 miles. Lat. 12° 50'. 
Therm, at M. 84°. 

Tuesday, Feb. 27. — The wind has been very light 
to-day, causing the brig to "make haste very 
slowly." During the last three days all hands have 
been elated with the idea of reaching Kio on Sun- 
day next, but we shall most certainly be disap- 
pointed unless favored with a stronger breeze than 



50 A NEW GAME. 

that of to-day. We are at this time 900 miles 
north-east of Rio, yet an eight-knot breeze would 
waft us there in five days very easily. Some old 
sails have been si:)read above our heads to-day as a 
substitute for an awning, and the passengers have 
been amusing themselves by playing cards, domi- 
noes, backgammon, checkers, and reading, writing, 
singing, fiddling and dancing. The Captain being 
asleep and the first mate off duty, no observation 
was taken at meridian to-day ! To relieve the 
tedium of the voyage, the passengers have intro- 
duced a new game this afternoon — pitching jDennies, 
and while I am writing, the pennies are rattling on 
the deck over my head. Distance sailed, j^er log, 
170 miles. Therm, at M. 8G°. Shades of Lucifer I 
it has been hot to-day. If I could only divest my- 
self of flesh and sit in my bones for an hour or so, 
wouldn't it be altogether lovely ? 

Wednesday, Feb. 28. — Last day of February and 
fifty-three days at sea! Rio not reached yet. Since 
sunrise, this morning, the brig has been rolling 
lazily along, scarcely making three knots an hour, 
which does not look much like reaching Rio this 
week. Captain Fairfowl has experienced a very 
sudden change of heart ! Yesterday afternoon full 
naval rations, with the exception of cheese, were 
served to the steerage passengers, for the first time 
since leaving Philadelphia. We received no cheese 
for the very best of reasons — there was none on 
board the brig. The Captain has promised the 
steerage passengers full naval rations when they 
arrive at Rio, if the articles of which we are defi- 



THE cook's devil. 51 

cient can be had in that port. Among the rations 
served out yesterday, were butter, pickles and vine- 
gar, the first tasted during the passage. 

Our cook is possessed of a devil as large as a 
ground-hog. The soup for the steerage j^assengers 
was served up to-day in the following novel man- 
ner : A large boiler, from the galley, was placed in 
the lee gangway, exposed to the broiling rays of the 
sun, and the passengers were called to help them- 
selves as best they could. This scene reminds me 
of one witnessed in a Spanish barracks, at Port 
Mahon, in the Mediterranean, where the soldiers 
were marched up to a large kettle of soup, and the 
foremost after partaking of three spoonfuls fell 
back, and the person next to him advanced for his 
siiare of the spoils, and so on in turn, until all were 
served. 

This morning, a committee of three, consisting of 
Dr. George Guier, Jr., T. B. Butcher and S. C. 
Upham, was appointed by the j^assengers to wait 
on Captain Fairfowl, state their grievances, and 
request that they be remedied by him on the arrival 
of the Osceola in Bio. At three o'clock, P. M., 
the committee had an interview with the Captain, 
and he acceded to the following propositions : 

On the arrival of the Osceola in Bio, a waiter 
shall be shipped to attend to the wants of the first 
and second cabin passengers; a galley shall be 
erected and a cook shipped exclusively for the 
steerage passengers ; a table shall also be fitted 
up in the steerage for their especial use and benefit, 
and stores shall be j)urchased to complete the full 



52 GAMBLING FOR MONKEYS. 

naval ration, which shall be served regularly there- 
after. Potatoes shall be served alike to cabin 
and steerage passengers. The committee are to 
be allowed the j)rivilege of seeing that the stores 
purchased for the vessel are of a good quality, and 
that the other arrangements are carried into effect 
before sailing from Kio. Distance sailed, 169 
miles. Lat. 16° 55'. Therm, at M. 85°. 

Thursday, March 1. — During yesterday and 
to-day the Osceola has been bowling along with 
square yards, and studding-sails set below and aloft. 
Gambling has again broken out on board the brig 
— this time, in the form of an epidemic. Poker, 
monte and "rattle-and-snap" have been the order 
of the day during the past week, and to-day, by 
way of change, two raffles came off, one for a gold 
guard-chain, and the other for a gold watch. Both 
prizes were won by the " gentlemen of honor," who 
are to partake of pistols and coffee for two on their 
arrival in Rio. The forward cabin and steerage 
passengers have been jilaying cards and dominoes 
for dinners, oranges and monkeys, to be purchased 
in Rio by the losing parties. If the bets are all 
2:>aid, there will be a scarcity of the raw material in 
the monkey market. A vessel was reported from 
the maintop this morning, bound north. Distance 
sailed, 173 miles. Lat. 19° 21'. Therm, at M. 87°. 

Friday, March 2. — This morning the rain poured 
down in torrents, accompanied by thunder and 
lio-htnino;. Just before the storm commenced two 
jack-o'-lanterns paid us a visit. One was stationed 
on the maintop-gallant-yard-arm, and the other 



MESSENGERS FROM LAND. 53 

Oil the fore-truck, where they remained until van- 
quished by the rain-storm. The storm has been 
succeeded by a calm, and disaj^pointment is de- 
picted in the countenances of all on board. 

Early this morning a brown butterfly and a 
small land-bird came on board, and their visit was 
hailed with pleasure by all hands. The butterfly 
was retained a prisoner, but the little bird, after 
fluttering about the masts and rigging a few mo- 
ments, bade us adieu, and turning his head in the 
direction of the land, was soon lost to view. During 
to-day the surface of the water has been covered 
with a green substance, not unlike that which may 
be seen on a frog-pond. The sperm-whale is said 
to subsist on this floating scum. If so, I imagine 
they will never be troubled with dyspej^sia or gout 
in consequence of high diet. This afternoon a sail 
was reported on our weather-bow, heading the same 
direction with us. Distance sailed, 130 miles. Lat. 
21° 15'. Therm, at M. 82°. 

Saturday, March 3. — Another severe rain-storm 
at three o'clock this morning. At the commence- 
ment of the rain several of the j)assengers were 
asleep on top of the after-cabin, but they Avere soon 
compelled to take up their beds and walk. The 
storm was succeeded by an eight-knot breeze, 
which Ave have carried all day. Should this breeze 
continue until eight o'clock to-morrow morning, we 
shall make Cape Frio, Svliich is seventy miles to 
the northward of Kio de Janeiro. 

Two of the passengers, carpenters by profession, 
have been engaged during the day constructing a 



54 NEARING CAPE FEIO. 

galley for the use of tlie steerage j^assengers, wliicli, 
wlien completed and manned by a competent cook, 
will add mucli to their comfort. Distance sailed, 
116 miles. Lat. 22° 28'. Therm, at M. 82°. 

Sunday, March 4. — A dead calm 2^i'<3vailed 
throughout last night and to-day. Went on deck 
this morning at six o'clock and saw Cape Frio 
directly ahead, about thirty miles distant. To the 
leeward of us lie the Papagayos, Anchor and St. 
Ann's Islands, Cape Busios, St. John's Hill and 
Cape St. Thomas. Caj^e Frio, looming up in the 
distance, recalled vividly to mind recollections of 
my boyhood's home, in consequence of its close 
resemblance to the Camel's Hump, one of the 
highest peaks of the Green JMountain range. 

During the afternoon the brig has drifted so near 
the shore that the light-house on Cape Frio can 
easily be discerned without the aid of a glass. A 
half-dozen vessels can be seen from our deck, 
standing in the same direction with us. A large 
green turtle was seen on our weather-bow early 
this morning, about thirty yards distant, making 
toward us with head erect. When within fifteen 
yards of the brig he bade us adieu by shaking his 
head and 

" Diving down below, down below." 

Distance sailed, 35 miles. Lat. 23° 03'. Therm. 

at M. 80°. 

Monday, March 5. — Last night a light breeze 
sprang up from the north-west, which enabled us 
to double Cape Frio. At daylight this morning 



GETTING EEADY FOR EIO. 55 

the wind died away, and during tlie day we have 
been rolling about within thirty miles of the harbor 
of Rio, surrounded by half a dozen vessels similarly 
situated. The highlands and mountains of Brazil 
can be seen along the horizon in the direction of 
Rio, as far as the eye can scan, and from our main- 
royal-yard can be seen the Sugar Loaf, a high 
conical-shaped promontory near the entrance to the 
harbor. 

The passengers have been busily engaged to-day, 
shaving, shearing and clipping, which has called 
into requisition all the razors, scissors, hair-dyes, 
oils and pomades that can be mustered. They are 
all desirous of captivating the dark-eyed senoritas 
on their arrival in Rio. In consequence of the dis- 
ap|3ointment occasioned by the Osceola^ s not reach- 
ing Rio to-day, two of our passengers have adopted 
the whisky treatment in order to drown their sor- 
rows. Whether they will succeed in calming their 
troubled spirits remains to be seen, but they have 
succeeded in making themselves uproariously 
drunk. 

We spoke a Brazilian brig this afternoon, bound 
out of Rio for Pernambuco, with an assorted cargo. 
Distance sailed, six miles! Lat. 23° 09'. Therm, 
at M. 82°. 

Tuesday, March 6. — At nine o'clock last night 
we made the light on Razor Island, at the entrance 
of the harbor of Rio. We continued our course 
toward the light until two o'clock this morning, 
when the wind died away and left us within three 
miles of a rock-bound shore, which was being lashed 



56 AT ANCHOR IN THE HARBOR. 

furiously by the angry waves. Fortunately, the 
tide set us off shore, and at daylight the roaring of 
the breakers was scarcely audible, although the 
coast for many miles in extent was distinctly in 
view. Soon after daylight a light breeze sprang 
up, which enabled us to steer direct for the entrance 
to the harbor of Rio, which we entered at four 
o'clock, P. M., and after passing Fort Santa Cruz 
on the right and the battery at the base of the 
Sugar Loaf on the left, we dropj^ed anchor about 
one and a half miles below the j^rincij^al landing of 
the city, at five o'clock, P. M. While passing up 
the harbor, we spoke the bark Elvira, of Boston, 
bound out for San Francisco, with sixty-three 
passengers. Suspended from her main-stay, were 
several bunches of bananas, which looked very in- 
viting, as I had not tasted fruit of any descrij)tion 
for more than forty days. As we j)assed Fort 
Santa Cruz, we were hailed in broken English by 
a Portuguese official, who thrust his curly head 
above the ramparts and bellowed through a dilaj^i- 
dated tin trumpet in a Boanergean voice. AVhat 
he said, we knew not and cared as little, and the 
reply of our Captain was probably received with 
like indifference. The custom of hailing vessels 
from this fort is 

" More honored in tlie breach than in the observance." 

The scene presented from the deck of a vessel on 
enterins: the harbor of Bio de Janeiro is unrivaled. 
The most romantic imagination can picture nothing 
more magnificent than this beautiful harbor, sur- 



PASSENGERS GO ASHOEE. 69 

rounded by innumerable conical hills clotlied to 
their summits with luxuriant tropical verdure, and 
the valleys dotted with beautiful white villas stand- 
ing out in bold relief and contrast with the eternal 
green of the hills. Our anchor was scarcely down, 
before the news-boat came alongside. Soon after, 
we were visited by the Port Physician and the 
Custom-house officer. They had scarcely left us, 
before half a dozen shore-boats were alongside 
manned by half-naked negroes and Portuguese. 
The boats were soon filled to their utmost capacity 
by the passengers — scarcely a dozen remaining on 
board — and the word vamose being given, we soon 
passed the guard-ship and were landed on shore at 
the foot of Palace Square. 

Immediately after landing, I went by invitation 
to the counting-house of Mr. Philip Hue, grocer 
and wine merchant, No. 14 Pua Direita, where I 
wrote letters to my friends in the United States. 
A mail-bag was to leave on the following day, on 
board the bark Hope, Captain Hall, bound for 
Philadelphia. Having finished my correspondence, 
I repaired to the Hotel Pharoux, accomj^anied by 
three friends, and ordered supper for four. The 
supper, consisting of cold chicken, coffee and rolls, 
was soon dispatched and the bill called for, which 
was presented by a very pretty French bar-maid. 
On examining the bill, I was thunder-struck ! It 
footed up, as I supposed, seven dollars and eighty 
cents ! I handed the bill to my companions, who 
exclaimed, simultaneously, "robbers! j^irates! vil- 
lains !" I inquired for the proprietor of the hotel, 



60 THE FIRST DAY IN RIO. 

for the purpose of ascertaining the price of chickens 
by the dozen. If they were two dolhirs each cooked, 
I desired to learn the price of the raio material ! 
The landlord soon made his appearance, and an 
explanation followed which soon placed matters in 
their true light. Our bill was four millreis and 780 
reis, instead of $7.80, being about sixty-two cents 
each, but enough for cold chicken and coffee. There 
are at the present time in Kio fully one thousand 
Americans belonging to California passenger vessels, 
which has caused the boatmen, hotel and livery- 
stable keepers to increase their tariff of prices fully 
one hundred j^cr cent. Not wishing to pay fifty 
cents for the privilege of sleeping on the soft side 
of a billiard table, I went on board the brig at 
eleven o'clock, P. M., not overly elated with life in 
Bio. 



CHAPTEn III. 

City of Eio de Jtineiro — Visit to the market — Mode of nursiug 
children in Rio — The Passeio Publico — Rare plants and 
flowers — Butchery of Santa Lucia — View of the city from 
Telegraph Hill — The Theatre San Januaria — Trick of the 
manager — A night on a dilapidated sofa — Emperor's church 
— Interior decorations — Yankee mercantile house in Rio — 
Visit to Praya Grande — The Frenchman and his orange 
grove — Visit to the Navy Yard — Scene at the guard- 
house — Convent of St. Benedict — Funeral ceremony — Mode 
of interment. 

Wednesday, March 7. — Went on shore at eight 
o'clock, A. M., and after breakfasting at the Hotel 
Pharoux, visited the market-house, situated on the 
north side of Palace Square. The walls of the 
market are composed of stone, rough-cast, and the 
interior forms a hollow square. There are three 
arched gateways, or entrances, the principal of 
which, fronting Palace Square, is surmounted by 
an astronomical globe bearing a crown and cross, 
the Brazilian coat of arms. Tlie eastern portion of 
the market is occupied by the fish-mongers, and on 
their stalls is displayed the greatest variety of the 
finny tribe I have ever seen, and I question whether 
the fish-market of Kio is excelled in variety by any 
other in the world. In the northern and western 
portions of the market are exposed for sale tropical 
fruits in all their varieties, and vegetables of various 

(61) 



62 



SUBSTITUTE FOR CRADLES AND JUMPERS. 



kinds. Most of the stalls are attended by female 
slaves, many of whom have their little ones lashed 
to their backs with a strip of cotton cloth. The 
little pickaninnies remain as quiet in this position 




MODE OP NURSING CHILDREN IN RIO. 



as would an American child in a cradle or baby- 
jumj)er, and allow their mammas to perform their 
avocations without hindrance. 

After having spent two or three hours in the 
market, I sauntered down toward the southern j^art 
of the city and visited the Passeio Publico, a beau- 
tiful square inclosed by a substantial stone wall ten 
feet high. At the entrance, which is surmounted by 
a marble bust of the late queen, Donna Maria I, were 



THE PASSEIO PUBLICO. 63 

stationed two guards, to wliom I tipped my Panama 
on entering, and walked leisurely about for an hour, 
viewing the trees, j)lants and flowers growing here 
in all their splendor. Among the trees under which 
I strolled were the genepa, tamarind, casuarina, 
bread-fruit, joboticaba and cocoa ; and among the 
rare plants I noticed the spiral aloe unfolding its 
long sword-shaped leaves. The flowers, of which 
there were many rare and beautiful specimens, were 
in square beds neatly arranged, and surrounded by 
a light and tasteful iron railing. Between the stairs 
leading to the terrace, at the southern extremity of 
the Passeio Publico, is a granite fountain standing 
on the backs of two huge brazen crocodiles. The 
terrace was decked with numerous urns and busts, 
and at the fountain a little leaden angel held by the 
tail a turtle of the same metal, from whose distended 
mouth issued a stream of pure fresh water into a 
marble reservoir beneath. On either side of the 
fountain, a little to the northward, is a triangular 
obelisk of granite, about thirty feet high, on which 
is the following inscription : "Au saudad de Rio — 
au amor publico y "To the health of Kio, and to 
the public love." Around the southern wall of the " 
terrace are marble seats, the wall above being inlaid 
with variegated porcelain. At each end of the ter- 
race is an octangular-shaped tower about thirty feet 
high; the basement and space between the two 
towers being a tessellated marble pavement of much 
beauty. 

From the Passeio Publico, I went to the butchery 
of Santa Lucia, a block of low buildings bordering 



04 DESCRIPTION OF EIO. 

on the harbor, about half a mile above the Passeio 
Publico. At this place is slaughtered all the meat 
for the consumi^tion of the city and its suburbs. 
At the time I was at the butchery, eleven o'clock, 
A. M., all the beeves for that day, about two hun- 
dred, had been killed, and the knights of the knife 
and steel were busily engaged divesting them of 
their hides. The butchers were all slaves, and 
among them I noticed several drivers with pointed 
sticks, with which they prodded those that were 
inclined to lag behind. The beef was carried on 
the heads of slaves to the carts of customers waiting 
in front of the butchery. I next went to the Hotel 
de Norte, where I partook of a tolerable dinner, for 
Avhicli I paid seventy-five cents. After dinner, ac- 
companied by four or five friends, I visited Tele- 
grajith Hill, from which I had a fine view of the 
city, harbor and surrounding country. From this 
elevation, the scenery, as far as the eye can scan, is 
the most magnificent I have ever witnessed. Groves 
of oranges, limes, bananas and tamarinds meet the 
eye in every direction and perfume the air with 
their fragrant odors. 

The city of Kio is situated on the west side of the 
Kio de Janeiro, or River of January, about ten miles 
from its mouth or entrance into the ocean, and is 
surrounded on three sides by a range of conical hills, 
most of which are covered to their summits with 
fruits, flowers and luxuriant herbage. In the dim 
distance can be seen the Organ Mountains, raising 
their majestic heads far above the clouds as if eager 
to kiss the blue vault of heaven. 



A VISIT TO THE THEATRE. G7 

Kio is very compactly built, and with its suburbs 
contains nearly as many inliabitants as New York, 
but does not occupy as much ground as Philadel- 
jDhia. The streets, which are narrow, mostly cross 
each other at right angles. There are in the city 
several public squares, or palazas, the principal of 
which are the Palace Square and the Campo Santa 
Anna, in each of which there is a public fountain, 
composed of granite and surmounted by the globe, 
crown and cross, the Brazilian coat of arms. The 
Rua de Ouvidor, the Broadway of Kio, is scarcely 
three j^aces wide, without curb or sidewalks. The 
buildings are composed of stone, with tile roofs, the 
walls rough-cast, and generally two stories high. 
In this city, as well as in all Catholic countries, 
the cathedrals, Convents and nunneries attract the 
attention of strangers. I have to-day visited sev- 
eral of these institutions, and the cowled monks and 
veiled nuns have brought vividly to mind scenes 
from the " Mysteries of Udolpho " and the " Chil- 
dren of the Abbey." The palaces of the Emperor 
are externally by far the most beautiful edifices in 
the city or suburbs. 

In the evening I visited the theatre San Janua- 
ria, for the express purpose of seeing the Emperor 
and Empress of Brazil ; but, for reasons best known 
to themselves, they did not appear in their box to 
be gazed at by the los Americanos. The first part 
of the entertainment consisted of feats on the tight- 
rope by the far-famed Bavel family, after which 
was performed a pantomime by the stock company, 
which amused me very much. The after-piece 



68 A VISIT TO THE EMPEEOK's CHURCH. 

was a comedy, in the Portuguese language, not one 
word of wliicli was intelligible to nie. At the close 
of the jierformance I went to a public-house near 
by, kc^pt by a German, where I invested fifty cents 
for the privilege of trying to sleep on a dilapidated 
sofa until daylight. 

Thursday f March 8. — This morning, after break- 
fasting at the Hotel de Universe, I visited the 
Emperor's church, on the west side of Kua Direita, 
near the palace. An arched causeway or passage 
leads from the palace to the church, through which 
the Emperor, Empress and suite are admitted to 
mass. Externally, the church has a very dingy 
appearance, but its interior arrangements are more 
pleasing to the eye. As I crossed the threshold 
the hrst object that met my eye was one of the 
emperor's guards, whose complexion was a shade 
lighter than the ace of spades, with a musket at 
his shoulder, and stationed near the altar, at which 
were a dozen priests and friars, with shaven heads 
and black gowns, ducking and bobbing around a 
large silver crucifix, placed in front of a wax statue 
of Him who died to atone for the sins of the world. 
Worshipers of all ages, complexions and conditions 
were kneeling about the church and around the 
altar, there being no seats, saying mass. The 
walls and ceiling of the church are elaborately 
carved and handsomely gilded, and on each side 
are niches, occupied by statues of the various saints 
of the calendar. Around the church walls, near 
the ceiling, are suspended in gilt frames pictures of 



A CUllIOSITY SHOP. 69 

the apostles and scriptural j^^iititings, several of 
wliicli were executed by the old masters, y 

At ten o'clock, A. ]M., at the solicita^fon of Mr. 
Howell, our first mate, I accompanied him to the 
office of the American consul, for the purpose of 
hearing the charges to he preferred against him by 
Cai^tain Fairfowl. After listening to the charges 
and the mate's defense, the consul discharged him 
from the brig. The captain and passengers of the 
ship Pacijic, from New York, now in this port, are 
at loggerheads, and to the great joy of the j^assen- 
gers, the consul has given Captain Tibbets his 
" walking papers." 

During the forenoon I visited the store of Messrs. 
Southworth & Sands, of New York, who have 
recently established themselves in Kio. The junior 
partner, is the son of Dr. Sands, of sarsaparilla 
fame, and their store is a curiosity-shop to the 
natives, it being a receptacle of all kinds of Yankee 
notions, from a jew's-liarp to a Troy-built omnibus! 
With the gentlemanly proprietors of this establish- 
ment I sj^ent an hour very agreeably, examining 
their stock of notions and chatting about matters in 
the United States. 

In the afternoon it commenced raining, and after 
purchasing a few articles of tinware, for which I 
paid three times their value in the United States, I 
concluded to go on board the brig. The market 
being on my route to the landing, I purchased a 
handkerchief full of oranges at half a cent each, 
which fully made up the loss incurred on tinware. 
On arriving at the lauding I was completely sur- 



70 A PLEASANT EXCURSION. 

rouiitled by the boatmen, anxious to row me off to 
the brig. I paid an okl Portuguese five " dumps," 
a copper coin a trifle larger than an American doUar, 
to take me on board the Osceola, where I remained 
during the remainder of the afternoon and night. 

Friday, March 9. — I went on shore at eight 
o'clock, A. M., and after breakfiisting at the Hotel 
Pharoux, joined a party of friends who were about 
visiting Praya Grande, a delightful little village on 
the east side of the harbor and directly opposite the 
city of Pio. The preliminaries for our departure 
being arranged, we went to the ticket office at the 
steamboat pier, purchased tickets, fare two dumps, 
and seating ourselves on board the boat, were landed 
in thirty minutes at the south or lower landing of 
Praya Grande. On board the boat were several Bra- 
zilian ladies and gentlemen with their children and 
servants. After landing we strolled along the beach 
toward the northern part of the town, jiassing on 
the way orange groves and several beautiful cottages. 
From one of the latter issued the tones of a piano, 
which brought vividly to mind, 

" Home, sweet lionie.' ' 

Passing a cafe, we were hailed in English by a dap- 
per little gentlemen, who scraped and bowed like a 
French dancing-master. We entered his cafe, and 
after drinking a bottle of claret wine, engaged him 
as guide to accompany us during the remainder of 
the day. ^Vt the foot of a mountain, at the extreme 
northern part of the town, we entered, by invitation, 
the o-arden of a Frenchman, once a resident of the 



PURCHASING SYKUPS AND JELLIES. 71 

United States, but of late years a sojourner in Brazil. 
Having passed through the garden, fragrant with 
the sweet odors of tropical flowers, we visited an 
orange grove attached thereto, containing upwards 
of a thousand orange, lime, lemon and pitanga trees, 
laden with ripe and luscious fruit, of which we were 
invited to partake freely, "without money and with- 
out price." That scriptural order was religiously 
obeyed ! On leaving the orange grove, we j^assed 
a wash and spring-house, in which was a lusty wench 
elbow deep in soap-suds, with a little yellow-skin 
lashed to her back, who rolled up his white eyes 
and grinned a ghastly smile as we jmssed by him. 

After leaving the cottage of the Frenchman, we 
stopped at a cafe and lunched on coftee, rolls and 
rancid butter. Pricethirty-eight cents each. Being 
ready to resume our peregrinations, we looked for 
our guide, and were informed by the proprietor of 
the cafe that he had vamosed, for the purpose of 
enjoying his accustomed after-dinner siesta. During 
the afternoon we visited St. Domingo, the southern 
suburb of Praya Grande, for the purpose of pur- 
chasing syrups and jellies, which we were told were 
manufactured by a confectioner at that place. We. 
strolled around until nearly night before we found 
the syrup and jelly establishment. Every one of 
whom we inquired seemed to put us on the wrong 
track. The jelly shop w^as kept by a French lady 
who had resided in New York and Philadelj^hia, 
and who spoke the English language fluently. We 
purchased about twenty dollars' worth of her com- 
modities at very reasonable prices. We now char- 



72 A VISIT TO THE NAVY YAKD. 

tered a sail-boat, and after placing our goods on 
board, bade the Frencli lady adieu, and went on 
board the brig well satisfied with the first day spent 
in Praya Grande. 

Saturday, March 10. — I went on shore this morn- 
ing for the j^urpose of visiting the Brazilian Kavy 
Yard, convent of St. Benedict and other places 
of interest. At nine o'clock, A. M., accompanied 
by a 2^arty of friends, I passed up the Bua Direita, 
crossed the Rua Piscadore, entered the Navy Yard 
gate, and was soon in the midst of ship-carpenters, 
blacksmiths, boat-builders, armorers and machinists. 
The Navy Yard is of an oblong form and occupies 
about as much ground as the United States Navy 
Yard at Philadelphia. There is but one ship-house 
in the yard, where is being constructed a sloop of war 
which I learned had been on the stocks for three 
years. In the boat-shed they were building several 
boats, some of which were beautiful models. The 
building occupied by the machinists and black- 
smiths appeared to have been recently constructed, 
and the lathes and other machinery were imported 
from England, the manufacturer's name and resi- 
dence being stamjDcd on each article. In the black- 
smith's shop we made the acquaintance of two of 
the workmen who spoke the English language — one 
a Scotchman, and the other a German, both of 
whom had visited the United States. We next visited 
the shot and shell foundry, in which we saw several 
tons of si lot just turned out of the moulds. In the 
armory, the workmen were busily engaged manu- 
facturins: fire-arms for the use of the soldiers and 



marines of the Brazilian service. As we were about 
passing through the yard-gate on our return, my 
attention was arrested by two females seated on the 
ground, a few yards to the left, in front of a one- 
story stone building with grated doors and windows. 

On approaching them we learned by gestures 
that the building was a guard-house, and two of its 
inmates were their husbands. I looked through 
the grated door and saw several prisoners lying on 
a rough deal table, on which was. standing a jug 
of water, and by its side were two or three loaves 
of brown bread. This scene having convinced me 
that there were persons in this wicked world whose 
conditions were worse than my own, I turned from 
the prison and the females seated at the door, and 
ascending the hill of San Bempo by a crooked and 
roughly-paved walk, soon stood before the convent 
of St. Benedict. 

The St. Benedict is one of the oldest convents in 
Kio, having been erected in 17G1, as I learned from 
an inscription over the door of the main entrance. 
On entering the convent, we were accosted by a 
monk who beckoned us to proceed to the second 
floor, which we reached by a heavy, antiquated 
flight of stairs, and j)assing to the left through a 
long, dimly-lighted hall, entered the choir, where 
we met a servant dusting the seats occu23ied by the 
jolly fat friars. After examining the choir, the 
walls of which were nearly covered with scrij^tural 
paintings by the old masters, we went into the side 
galleries, from which we had a fine view of the in- 
terior ofthe church with its richly gilded and carved 



74 A FUNERAL. 

mouldings, wliieli lined tlie walls and ceiling, and 
disj^layed vines loaded with grapes and mingled 
with flowers. Standing in niches in the walls were 
statues of tlie saints gorgeously dressed, and from 
the frescoed ceiling were suspended two massive 
silver lamps somewhat dusty with age. From the 
church we passed into the courtyard, one hundred 
and fifty feet square and covered with granite flags, 
under which repose the dead. From the convent 
windows we had a magnificent view of the harbor, 
the Island of Cobras, the city, its evergreen hills, 
the azure mountains in the distance, and the vast 
ravines furrowing their sides. From the convent we 
descended a zigzag path to the street, and after a 
walk of twenty minutes, reached the Hotel Pharoux. 
Casting my eyes in the direction of the Emperor's 
church, I noticed a hearse drawn by six plumed 
horses coming to a halt in front of it. Before I 
reached the church, the gold-laced coffin had been 
removed from the hearse and placed on a bier or 
altar in the middle of the floor, and the corpse ex- 
posed to view by opening the hinged lids. On each 
side of the cofiin were half a dozen priests and friars 
in black gowns trimmed with white, holding in 
their hands lighted wax candles four feet long and 
two inclies in diameter, the lower ends resting on 
the tile floor and the tops inclining slightly forward. 
There Avas also a long file of gentlemen dressed in 
black bearing blazing wax candles, on each side of 
the passage leading from the hearse to the bier, 
although it was broad daylight ! During the fu- 
neral ceremony, the ofliciating priest sprinkled holy 



HOLY WATER AND QUICKLIME. 75 

water over the corpse several times from a silver 
instrument somewhat resembling a child's rattle; 
then shook over it a censer of burning incense, 
which diffused its odor through the church. The 
ceremony being over, the priests retired from the 
church, and the gentlemen in black extinguished 
their candles and placed them in a rack. Some 
left the church ; others removed the coffin from the 
bier and carried it into the receptacle for the dead, 
a court attached to the church. An excavation had 
been made in the wall, before which the coffin was 
placed and the lids again thrown open by the sex- 
ton. Holy water and quicklime were now thrown 
upon the corpse by the mourners. This part of the 
exercises being concluded, a requiem was chanted 
and the corpse left to be placed in the hole in the 
wall by the sexton and his black attendant. Plav- 
ing witnessed the commencement of the ceremony, 
curiosity prompted me to see the finale. Despite 
the surly looks of the sexton, I remained behind, 
with five or six other Americans, for the j)urpose 
of seeing the deceased placed in his narrow cell. 
The coffin, on being raised to the niche, was found 
too large for admission, but, with the aid of a crow- 
bar, it was quickly reduced in size by knocking in 
the head-board and pressing down the lid uj)on the 
breast of the corpse ! It was soon adjusted to the 
satisfaction of the sexton, and the entrance closed 
by a mason. 

Remained on shore during the night, and slept 
on the soft side of a billiard-table, all the beds in 
the hotel being double-banked. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Visit to the museum — Precious stones, medals, etc. — Observ- 
ance of the Sabbath in Rio — Washerwomen of the Campo 
Santa Anna — Visit to the Academy of Fine Arts — Paint- 
ings and sculpture — The Strangers' Burial-ground — Hot- 
corn women — American ladies bound for California — The 
Emperor's palace and garden — Visit to the latter — The 
Emperor's juvenile sports — Second night at the theatre — 
Dom Pedro II and Donna Therese — Slaves in Rio — 
Arrival of gold-dust from California — Arrival of the steam- 
ship Panama — News from home — California-bound vessels 
in Rio. 

Sunday, March 11. — This forenoon, accomj)anied 
by two friends, I visited the museum, situated on 
the eastern side of the Campo Santa Anna, which 
is open every Sunday from ten o'clock, A. M., until 
two o'clock in the afternoon — admission free. The 
museum was founded by King John VI, in the 
year 1821, and is a large two-story edifice, com- 
prising a main building and two wings. The 
entrance is guarded by soldiers, and there are 
attendants inside to see that no imjDroper conduct 
takes place. The museum contains eight commu- 
nicating rooms. Two are devoted exclusively to 
minerals of the empire, which are locked in taste- 
fully-arranged mahogany cases with glass doors. 

Among the minerals in the cases are ores of gold, 
silver, coj^per, carbonates, muriates, phosphates and 

(76) 



THE IMPERIAL MUSEUM. 77 

sulpliurets of lead, ores of iron, jasper, agate, quartz, 
talc, mica, coral and limestone of various kinds. 
There are diamonds, and also crystals of white 
transparent quartz two or three inches in length. 
The most wonderful mineral is a crystalized quartz 
of a hexangular sha2:)e, fifteen inches in thickness 
and nearly three feet in length. Its weight is not 
less than two hundred pounds. 

The specimens of the animal kingdom belong 
chiefly to the empire, and consist of the gray, black 
and scaly ant-eater, leopard, wolf, paca, guinea-pig, 
besides a great variety of the monkey tribe. There 
is also a fine collection of sea-shells, bugs and but- 
terflies. The collection of birds is very large, mostly 
natives of Brazil. Among tliem may be mentioned 
the parrot, goney, joao, grande, turdus-regius, 
pavao of Matogosso, crax-galiata and anherma 
unicorne, bemtivi, torecans and gulls. The Bra- 
zilian rej)tiles are also largely rej^resented, the boa 
constrictor and coral-horned crotalus being the 
most prominent. Two live specimens of the former 
are at the entrance to the museum, on the first 
floor. The specimens of fish are all dried prepara- 
tions. 

In the room containing the Chinese and Indian 
curiosities is a cabinet of gold, silver, brass, bronze 
and copper coins and medals. Among the latter 
are likenesses of Marc Antony, Seneca, Cicero, 
Francis and Maria de Medicis, Cardinal Mazarin, 
Pope Innocent II, Henry IV of France, Marquis 
Cornwallis, George IV, Louis XVI, Maria An- 
toinette, Anne of Austria, Charles III of Spain, 



7o SUNDAY IN EIO DE JANEIRO. 

Ferdinand VII, Lord Howe, and many other 
noted personages. In one of the rooms is the most 
j)erfect specimen of an Egyptian mummy ever ex- 
hibited. 

On my return from the museum, I noticed that 
nearly all the stores and shops were open, and 
business was being transacted the same as on any 
other day of the week. Carpenters and cabinet- 
makers were shoving the plane and saw, and the 
sons of St. Crispin were plying the thread and 
bristle as briskly as ever. The inhabitants of Rio 
do not keep the Sabbath more holy than any other 
day of the week. They generally attend mass in 
the morning, and act as fancy dictates during the 
remainder of the day. 

Understanding that there was to be a bull-fight 
in the Campo Santa Anna in the afternoon, I re- 
paired thither for the purpose of witnessing it, but 
for some unexplained reason it did not take place. 
At the fountain in the Campo Santa Anna were a 
score of black wenches doing their week's washing, 
and the way they made the soap-suds and shirt- 
buttons fly was a caution to washing-machines I 

Monday, March 12. — During the forenoon I 
yisited the Academy of Fine Arts, a large two- 
storied stone edifice, to which visitors are admitted 
free. On the first floor are six ordinary sized 
rooms, which lead out of a spacious hall running 
lengthwise of the building. The walls of three of 
the rooms are covered from floor to ceiling with 
j^aintings, most of which are portraits of distin- 
guished jDersons and citizens. There are several 



ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS, ETC. 79 

scriptural paintings by eminent artists. An 
equestrian picture of Dom Pedro II, the present 
Emperor of Brazil, and a full-length jiortrait of 
one of the Empress's maids of honor are the 
most artistic and beautiful specimens of modern 
oil ]oainting I have ever seen. Two of the re- 
maining; three rooms on the first floor contain 
statuary in marble and plaster, none of which 
deserve particular notice. On the second floor I 
gained admission to two rooms, in one of which 
were mahogany cases with glass lids, containing 
the dies and medals of the empire. The other was 
hung with portraits of monks, and friars, and 
scriptural j^aintings, and had the appearance of 
being used as a studio, as I noticed several un- 
finished pictures on easels around the room. The 
unfinished pictures were all copies, and several 
compared favorably with the originals. Having 
examined everything worthy of notice, I passed 
the guard stationed at the door, and crossing Thea- 
tre Square, soon entered the Kua de Ouvidor, 
which I followed down to the Rua Direita, crossed 
the palace square, and reached the Hotel Pharoux, 
where I dined. 

In the afternoon a 'pavij was made up, myself 
being one of the number, to visit the Strangers' 
Burial-ground, and the Emperor's Garden at St. 
Christoval. Taking seats in the St. Christoval 
omnibus, in about thirtv minutes we were set down 
near the entrance to the Strangers' Burial-ground, 
which is situated on the southern declivity of a 
hill facing an arm of the bay of Bio de Janeiro. 



so ONE OF job's COMFORTEES. 

The yard is inclosed by a substantial stone wall 
about ten feet liigli, and the principal entrance is 
through a ponderous iron gate, which was locked. 
Our guide soon found the sexton, and we were 
admitted. After sauntering about for an hour, 
viewing the tombstones and monuments of those 
who had fallen victims to disease in a foreign land, 
we j^assed out of the yard, and engaging a boat on 
the beach, were soon landed at St. Christoval. On 
stepj^ing from the boat, the first object that met my 
eye was an old negro woman seated on the ground 
near a small fire roasting Indian corn. I purchased 
an ear, piping hot, and while eating it my thoughts 
reverted to Philadelphia and her hot-corn vendors. 
Passing along a little further, w^e met an American 
lady and gentleman returning from the Emperor's 
Garden. After a hearty shake of the hand all 
around, the lady informed us that herself and hus- 
band w^ere jiassengers on board the shij) Architect^ 
from New Orleans bound for San Francisco. She 
also informed us that there were five other lady 
passengers on board the Architect, two of wdiom 
had lost their husbands by cholera since their de- 
parture from New Orleans. I requested her to 
console the widows with the fact that they w^ere 
bound for a country where wives were scarce and 
husbands plenty. I have no positive proof that my 
message was delivered ; but I had the consolation 
of knowing that, as one of Job's comforters, I did 
my duty. Each bidding the other adieu, and 
hoj^ing to meet again in California, we parted, the 
lady and gentlemen returning to the city, and we 



THE EMPEEOR's GARDEN. 81' 

continuing our walk toward tlie garden. "We soon 
readied the palace yard or square, in which were 
lounging fifteen or twenty of the Emperor's guards 
in undress uniform. The palace originally con- 
sisted of a main building and two wings. The 
main building has recently been razed to the ground 
for the purpose of erecting on its site another of a 
different style of architecture, which, when com- 
pleted, will be an imposing stone structure, four 
stories high with a tile roof. 

The garden attached to the palace is the most 
beautiful in the vicinity of Rio, and is about five 
miles in circumference. Near the palace is a small 
lake, on the bosom of which the Emperor, wdien a 
flaxen-haired urchin, took his first nautical lessons, 
and the hull of his favorite yacht is still to be seen 
at the east end of the lake, high and drj on (e7^ra 
Jlrma. Through the centre of the garden runs a 
stream of water over which is erected an aqueduct 
of solid masonry supported by innumerable arches 
and piers. In the garden are beautifully graveled 
walks which cross each other at right angles, and 
in many places are shaded on either side by rows 
of bamboos, whose tops unite and form magnificent 
bowers. It also contains a great variety of fruit- 
trees and plants, among which are \\\q pintanga, 
cardo, maracaja, guava, banana, culainbota, cocoa, 
mango, lemon, lime, caja, breadfruit, papaw arba- 
cate, aresa, fruto de conte, genejoa, sapucaia, fig, 
orange, palm, espinatree, legume, coffee, tea, and 
many plants both rare and curious, natives of the 
East Indies. 



82 THE EMPEEOE IN 1849. 

There was also a great variety of roses in full 
bloom, which diffused a grateful fragrance through 
the garden. As night was fast ajDproaching, we 
passed through the eastern gate and soon reached 
the road leading to the city. The omnibus not 
having arrived, we walked two miles before it over- 
took us, then getting on board, Jehu plied his whip 
to the mules in a lively manner, and we were soon 
rattling over the pavements of the city. After 
supper, four of our j^arty, myself among the num- 
ber, engaged a private box at the theatre, and took 
our seats early for the purpose of witnessing the 
entree into the royal box of their Majesties the 
Emperor and EmjDress of Brazil. The Emperor's 
box is on the same floor as the second tier of boxes, 
and directly in front of the stage. It extends from 
the floor of the second tier to the proscenium, and 
has a frontage of about fifteen feet. In front was a 
damask curtain looped up on each side, and the 
box was surmounted by the Brazilian coat-of-arms 
handsomely gilded. In the box were arranged 
arm-chairs for the use of the Emj)eror, Empress 
and suite. At a quarter before nine o'clock, the 
Emperor, Empress, officers of the imperial house- 
hold and maids of honor made their appearance, 
the entire audience rising and remaining in that 
23osition until the imj)erial family were seated. 

The EmjDcror is an intelligent, modest-looking 
young man, twenty-four years of age, fully six feet 
high, with light-brown hair and whiskers, blue 
eyes and florid complexion. He was dressed in a 
plain black suit, with no other insignia of royalty 



TWENTY-SEVEN YEAES LATER. 83 

than a star or rosette on his left breast. He is 
greatly beloved by his subjects, and his constant 
endeavors to ameliorate their condition have gained 
for him the encomiums of the civilized Avorld. I 
am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but 
I j^redict that Dom Pedro II will make a mark on 
the finger-board of the nineteenth century not 
easily effaced. 

The Empress is rather below the medium size, and 
looks somewhat older than her liege lord. Her eyes 
are blue and complexion light ; hair light auburn, 
curling beautifully around her neck and falling in 
graceful ringlets on her shoulders. Her nose is 
large, which somewhat mars her features. When 
walking she inclines slightly forward. She wore a 
black satin dress with sleeves scarcely extending to 
the elbows, the edges of which, as well as the neck, 
were trimmed with lace edging. She wore neither 
rings nor bracelets, and was one of the most demo- 
cratic specimens of feminine royalty I ever expect 
to see. The toilets of her maids of honor were 
gotten uj) more elaborately. Having become weary 
of gazing on royalty and a Portuguese pantomime, 
I left the theatre at eleven o'clock, P. M., and en- 
gaged lodgings for the night at the Hotel Pharoux. 

\_Twenty-seven years later. After the lapse of 
more than a quarter of a century since the foregoing 
was written, I have had the pleasure of again seeing 
the Emperor and Empress of Brazil (this time 
during the Centennial year in my own country), and 
I am happy to say that my early imj)ressions and 
predictions have been fully verified. By his unos- 



£4 VIVE LA DOM PEDEO II. 

tentatious and gentlemanly demeanor during Lis 
brief sojourn in tlie United States, Dom Pedro II 
has won "golden opinions" from all classes of men — 
snobs excepted ! His kindness to the California- 
bound passengers while in Rio will ever be held in 
grateful remembrance by the author of this humble 
tribute to a great and good man. 

" The rauk is but the guinea's stamp, 
The man's the gold for a' that." 

Vive la Dom Pedro II!~\ 

Tuesday, March 13. — I went on board the Os- 
ceola early this morning, and found the sailors 
busily engaged breaking out the hold preparatory 
to receiving water on board. I discovered among 
the cargo two barrels of pilot-bread belonging to 
myself with their heads stove in. After coopering 
the bread barrels I went below and spent the re- 
mainder of the day writing to friends in the United 
States. I also wrote a communication for the Keiv 
Yorh Herald over the signature of " S. Curtis " — 
my Christian name — giving a brief history of our 
voyage to this port, treatment of the passengers, 
etc., in which I Avent for the owners and cajitain of 
the Osceola in a lively manner, and concluded by 
giving a list of the California passenger vessels 
lying in the harbor of Kio. 

The following passenger vessels from the United 
States bound for California, have put into this port 
for provisions and water, during the past three 
months : 

From New York. Ships — Sutton, 55 days; 




From a Photo taken in Philadelphia, 1876. 



DOM PEDRO II., KMI'EROR OF BRAZIL. 



U. S. VESSELS AT EIO. 87 

Christoval Colon, 51 clays; South Carolina, 39 days; 
Tarolinta, 50 days ; William Ivey, 42 days ; Pacificy 
42 days ; Apollo, 53 days. Barks — Josephine, 45 
days ; Exp)ress, 52 days ; Harriet Newell, 55 days ; 
Cordelia, 39 days ; Peytona, 54 days. Brigs — Mary 
Stuart, 42 days ; Eliza, 43 days. Schooners — Roe, 

39 days ; Olivia, 48 days ; George Emory, 43 days ; 
Joseph Newell, 40 days ; Laura Virginia, 38 days ; 
William G. Hachstaff, 39 days. 

From Boston. Ship — Capitol, 43 days. Barks 
— Oxford, 47 days; Maria, 51 days; Elvira, 47 
days. Schooner — Anonyma, 38 days. 

From Bahimore. Ship — Jane Barker, 42 days. 
Schooner — Eclipse, 47 days. 

From New Orleans. Ship — A^^chitect, 45 days. 

From Norfolk, Va. Brig — Joh7i Petty, 50 days. 

From New London, Conn. Ship — Mentor, 38 
days. 

From New Haven, Conn. Schooner — Mojitague, 

40 days. 

Wednesday, March 14. — During the forenoon I 
wrote several letters for the brig's cook and steward. 
A part of tlie brig's stores came on board this morn- 
ing, which on examination proved to be of an in- 
ferior quality. The hams and bologna sausages 
were tainted and mouldy. At eleven o'clock, A. M., 
the government water-tank came alongside, and we 
soon filled our Avater-casks, barrels and buckets with 
fresh water, which I hope will last until we reach 
San Francisco. 

A Russian bark, bound for St. Petersburg, 
arrived in this port to-day direct from California 



88 BAKEELS OF GOLD-DUST. 

and reports eight barrels of gold-dust on board, 
taken from the placers of the Sacramento. The 
intelligence received by the bark corroborates all 
previous accounts in relation to the extent and rich- 
ness of the California gold-mines. All hands are 
highly elated, and every man expects soon to be- 
come a millionaire. The Brazilians have also been 
attacked with the gold fever, and there are now in 
this i>ort several vessels up for San Francisco. 
Fare 1250. 

After dinner I went on shore and deposited my 
letters in the letter-bag of a vessel which will sail 
for New York to-morrow. AVhile on shore I saw 
a negro who was afflicted with the elephantiasis, 
one of the most loathsome diseases imaginable, but 
quite common in this country. His left leg was 
swollen to nearly the size of his body, and from the 
knee downward, protruded excrescences as large as 
English walnuts. The skin of the diseased limb 
appeared rough and scaly, and several of the toes 
had dropped off the foot. I saw others afflicted 
with this disease who had lost their lips and noses. 

At sundown I purchased two bottles of wine for 
medicinal purposes and a handkerchief full of 
oranges, and went on board the brig. 

Thursday, March 15. — Ship-carpenters and sail- 
makers have been on board to-day, caulking the 
deck and repairing the old sails. The mechanics 
here are mostly slaves, consequently they do not 
work very rapidly. A Yankee mechanic would 
perform as much labor in one day as two slaves in 
the same length of time. The slaves in this city 



THE SLAVES IN EIO. 89 

appear to be well treated and seem happy. I asked 
several if they would like to return to Africa. 
Their reply was: "Me no like to go hack to Africa 
among the nigger thieves !^^ The industrious slaves 
here, as in the United States, frequently save suf- 
ficient money to purchase their freedom. The free 
negroes in Kio wear shoes; the slaves invariably go 
barefooted. 

I shaved myself to-day for the first time in two 
months, and, if my looking-glass does not deceive 
me, I look one hundred per cent, better than I did 
before performing the tonsorial operation. Before 
I applied the razor to my face it would have j^uzzled 
a physiognomist to determine which I resembled 
most, a man or a monkey. 

In the early part of this week I purchased a 
shot-gun, which I left with Messrs. Garrett & Co., 
who are furnishing the sea-stores for the Osceola, 
and they promised to obtain a permit from the cus- 
tom-house and send it off with the stores this morn- 
ing. The stores were sent on board the brig but 
the gun did not accompany them. I engaged a 
boat from along-side the brig and went ashore to 
ascertain what had become of my gun. Mr. Garrett 
informed me that when the stores were sent on 
board the gun was forgotten, which he regretted 
very much, and would send it on board the next 
morning. Expecting to sail on the following day, 
I concluded to run the risk of carrying the gun 
on board myself. I accordingly placed it on my 
shoulder, walked down to the boat, was soon on 



DO AJUIIVAL OF THE STEAMSHIP PANAMA, 

board the brig and bad the gun safely de^wsited 
under my mattress. 

Friday, March 16. — It has been raining inces- 
santly during the greater part of last night and to- 
day. During the storm last night two of our sailors 
deserted from the brig, bag and baggage. Our 
Captain is very un23opular with the crew, as well 
as with the passengers, and I am fearful he will not 
be able to ship men in this port to fill the vacancies 
occasioned by the discharges and desertions from 
the brig. We are now short two mates and three 
men before the mast. 

The steerage i:)assengers have learned that their 
table cannot be constructed unless they double- 
bank the second tier of berths and stow the lower 
tier with trunks and other baggage, in order to 
clear a space amidships for that purpose. The 
passengers have all agreed to this arrangement, and 
to-morrow the table will be rigged uj"). 

At one o'clock, P. ]M., the steamship Panama^ 
Lieutenant-Commanding Porter, twenty-six days 
from New York, bound for San Francisco, jxit 
into this port for the purpose of taking on board 
coal, water and j^rovisions. The Panama is one 
of the line of Pacific Mail Steamers belonging to 
Howland & Aspinwall of New York, and on her 
arrival in the Pacific will ply between Panama and 
the mouth of the Columbia lliver, touching at Aca- 
pulco, Mazatlan, San Francisco and intermediate 
ports. By the Panama we received New York 
papers of the 17tli of February, being nearly a 
month later than previous accounts from the United 



NEWS FEOM HOME. 91 

States. The paj^ers received were a New York 
Herald and a Police Gazette^ which after going the 
round of the brig were pretty thoroughly used up. 
Caiotain Fairfowl came on board about eight o'clock, 
P. ]M., very much fatigued I 

Saturday, Alarch 17. — I assisted in the steerage 
to-day, breaking out trunks and other baggage and 
arranging the table. On examination we find that 
only twenty-six persons can be seated at the table at 
the same time; therefore, first come first served will 
be the order of exercises hereafter. We have engaged 
one of the j)assengers to act in the ca2:>acity of stew- 
ard during the remainder of the voyage, for which 
we agree to pay him one dollar each on our arrival 
at San Francisco. We have inaugurated our new 
cook and new galley. The former answers our 
expectations, but the latter has been tried and 
found wanting. The boilers are too long. They 
run through the plate or top of the galley so far that 
there is not sufficient space for fuel, and unless this 
defect is remedied we shall be comj)elled to eat 
badly-cooked food until we reach San Francisco. 
The Captain has succeeded to-day in shipping a 
first and second mate and one man before the mast 
which will enable us to put to sea to-morroAV. The 
following California-bound vessels, having taken on 
board water and provisions, sailed to-day : ships, 
Capitol and Jane Barker; brig John Petty, and 
schooner Laura Virginia. 



CHAPTEK V. 

Departure from Rio — Vessels bound for El Dorado — Auction 
sale at sea — A pamjjcro — Its cousoqucuccs — Putting a little 
whisky -vvliere it would do the most good — Hail-storm — 
Enfile for a monkey — IMelee between a passenger and the 
steward — Sehool of porpoises — Sudden change in the at- 
mosphere — Its effects — All hands on an allowance of water 
— Horrors of a passage around Cape Horn subsiding — All- 
Fools' Day — "The Perseverance Mining Company" — Ar- 
ticles of agreement. 

/Sand a I/, JIarch 18. — At nine o'clock, A. M., we 
hove up anchor, got under way and stood out of 
the hai'bor with a fair hut light hrcczc. As Ave 
passed Fort Santa Cruz, we were hailed hy the 
sentinel for the pass-word, which being given by 
the Captain, we glided along past the Sugar-Loaf, 
Kazor Island, and were soon outside ploughing 
along toward our port of destination. Toward 
night-fall I went on deck for the purpose of bid- 
dins; farewell to the lii<rhlands surroundiiis; the 
harbor of Kio. The Sugar-Loaf and Sir Hood's 
Nose were scarcely discernible, and the highlands 
to the southward along the coast were fast fading 
from view. I hade them adieu and went below 
to construct airy castles and picture imaginary 
scenes in the far-off golden land to which I am 
bound. 

The ship Arcliitcct, bark Harriet Kcircll and 

(92) 



AUCTION SALE AND A RAFFLE. 93 

brig 3Iary Stuart, bound for California, accom- 
jjanied us to sea tins morning. At sundown tlic 
Architect and Mary Stuart were five or six miles 
ahead of us, and the Harriet JSfetvell about the same 
distance astern. Distance sailed, 25 miles. Lat. 
23° 05'. Therm, at M. 78°. 

Monday, March 19. — Last night a fine breeze 
sprang up from the eastward, which we have car- 
ried during the day. When I went on deck this 
morning the HarriH Newell was the only sail to 
be seen, the Architect nnd Mary Stuart had, during 
the night, left us far astern. 

During the forenoon an auction sale was held by 
one of the forward-cabin j^assengers for the purpose 
of disposing of sundry lots and parcels of nuts, 
fruits and candies, which, as caterer, he had pur- 
chased for his mess, but several members thereof 
being somewhat imj^ecunious, he was compelled to 
resort to this expedient to reimburse himself for the 
amount expended for the articles. Most of the 
goods sold at an advance of one hundred per cent, 
over their original cost, which left a large surplus 
in the pocket of the purchaser. I had knocked 
down to myself a box of raisins, five pounds of- 
almonds and three pounds of filberts. The raisins, 
on examination, proved to be rather too highly 
spiced with bugs and worms to suit my taste, I 
therefore closed the box and put it up at raffle — 
eight chances, at twenty-five cents each. I did not 
envy the winner of the prize. I stowed the nuts in 
my hat-box, and flatter myself that for some time 
to come I shall have a dessert after each dinner of 



1)4 THE NEW MATES AND THE CAPTAIN. 

salt beef and liard-tack. Distance sailed, 140 miles. 
Lat. 24° m. Therm, at M. 80°. 

Tuesday, March 20. — During last night and to- 
day we have been favored with an eight-knot breeze. 
Now that the steerage passengers have a table to eat 
oft* of, they are no better satisfied than when mess- 
ing on pig-pens, chicken-coops and water-casks. 
One thinks his messmate has more elbow-room 
than himself at the table ; another, that he is not 
treated by the steward with the same degree of 
attention as his companion ; and others imagine 
that a seat at the head of the table is preferable to 
one lower doAvn. 

Early this morning the bark Harriet Neiocll was 
on our lee-quarter, distant about five miles, and at 
sundown she Avas so far astern that she was scarcely 
discernible by the aid of a glass. Three or four ot" 
the passengers are on the sick-list, in consequence of 
having lived too fast while in Kio. Distance sailed, 
184 miles. Lat. 27° 20'. Therm, at M. 82°. 

Wednesday, March 21. — The breeze of yesterday 
continued throughout last night and this forenoon, 
and has ]>laced us 200 miles nearer to San Fran- 
cisco. The two mates shi]iped in Rio have 
ah'oady become dissatisfied with the Captain, in 
consequence of his interference with their duty 
while in charge of the deck. I predict that both 
will be relieved from duty before we arrive in 
California. 

At three o'clock, P. JM., the western horizon 
became suddenly overcast with black clouds, and 
every indication of a pampero was visible. Stud- 



A PAMPEIIO. 95 

ding-sails were accordingly taken in, royals and top- 
gallant-sails furled, top-sails double reefed, the 
spanker brailed up and everything made ready for 
the approaching gale, which was soon upon us in all 
its fury. The rain descended in torrents, and the 
wind burst upon us with such violence that every 
rag of canvas was taken off the brig and she was 
hove to under bare poles, in which condition she 
remained during the night. The gale was the most 
severe that we have encountered during the jias- 
sage, and I have no anxiety to witness another of 
the same sort. The brig shij^ped heavy seas during 
the night, which completely deluged the cabins. 
The steerage was dry, but such another waltzing of 
trunks and boxes, crashing of crockery and jingling 
of tin pans, pots and spoons, I never before heard. 
Passengers, as well as baggage and dishes, were in 
commotion. Some of the former were gliding about 
clothed in a single garment; others in a state of 
nudity, genuine model artists, looking as ghastly as 
ghosts and trembling with fear. I remained in my 
berth, but as I could not sleep in consequence of the 
constant rolling and pitching of the brig, consoled 
myself by occasionally ^^utting a little whisky where ' 
I thought it would do the most good. Distance 
sailed, 179 miles. Lat. 30° 02'. Therm, at M. 78°. 
Thursday, 3Iarch 22. — At daylight this morning 
the storm having somewhat abated, the storm stay- 
sail was set and the brig put before the wind. 
Other sails were set during the forenoon, but owing 
to the heavy sea, we have made very little progress. 
The wind at the present writing is blowing very 



90 A MONKEY IN PERIL. 

fresh and the waves ai-c running mountain-high. 
During the rough weather hist night the steer- 
age gaUey broke loose from its fastenings, and we 
have had great difllcuUy in phicing it in its former 
position, in consequence of the rolling and 23itching 
of the brig. A sail was reported on our lee bow 
this morning, bound nortlnvard. Distance sailed, 
30 miles. Lat. 30° 28'. Therm, at M. 70°. 

Friday, March 23. — Head-winds and cross-seas 
during the hist twenty-four hours have prevented 
our making nuicli progress toward our port of desti- 
nation. The pampero has been succeeded by the 
equinoctial storm, and we may be detained in these 
latitudes several days by adverse winds. By way 
of variety, we were treated this forenoon to an old- 
fashioned hail-storm. This morning, soon after the 
eooiv had kindled a lire in the galley, we shipped a 
sea forward which extino-uished it so effectuallv 
that it could not be rekindled for several hours. 
This caused a late breakfast and sour looks among 
the passengers. 

While in Kio, two of our passengers purchased a 
monkey in copartnerslii]"*, and his deviltry has 
kept them constantly at loggerheads Avith the Cap- 
tain and mates. This morning his nlonkeyship 
took possession of the nail locker, and the mate 
threatened him with decapitation should he visit it 
again. This sanguinary threat having reached the 
ears of his owners, they informed the mate that 
they would like to be present when the o^K'^ratioii 
was performed ! Distance sailed, Jive miles! Lat. 
30° 23'. Therm, at M. 7o°. 



A SHARK, NOT CAUGHT. 97 

Saturday^ 3Iarc]b 24. — At two o'clock this morn- 
ing the wind hauled around to the north, which has 
enabled us to steer our course. The sea to-day has 
been smoother and the brig has rolled less. We 
are off the mouth of the Kiver La Plata, and may 
exjiect at any moment to be visited by another 

This afternoon the owners of the monkey came 
to the conclusion that their pet was neither as 
agreeable a companion nor as ^^rofitable an invest- 
ment as they first imagined, therefore they put him 
\\\) at raffle, and he was Avon by the first mate. Dis- 
tance sailed, 154 miles. Lat. 32° 13'. Therm, at 
M. 74°. 

Sunday f Ilarch 25. — Tlie wind to-day has been 
light and baffling, and the brig has headed as many 
different ways as there are points of the comjoass. 
The weather is becoming gradually cooler, and the 
breezes are bracinc; and inviooratin"-. Lar2;e flocks 
of gulls have been flying around the brig all day. 

This afternoon a large shark, a regular man- 
eater, was observed following the brig at the dis- 
tance of about twenty yards, which caused a lively 
time on board. The shark-hook not being at hand,- 
a mackerel-hook baited with pork was attached to a 
piece of marline and thrown overboard. His shark- 
ship, after swimming around the bait several times, 
approached it cautiously and turning quickly on 
his side swallowed the hook with a yard of the line 
and disappeared beneath the water. 

Considerable excitement was occasioned this after- 
noon m consequence of a melee between one of the 



98 MAIN-EOYAL YARD CAEEIED AWAY. 

steerage passengers, a Philaclelpliia b'lio}^ and the 
second steward. The former accused the hitter of 
mixing the duff with water from the bathing-tub, 
which he said was 

"A lie, a d infernal lie, 

Upon liis sovil a lie !" 

This somewbat excited the b'hoy's ire, and he gave 
the steward a blow alongside his visage which caused 
him to see stars at midday. Distance sailed, 139 
miles. Lat. 34° 08'. Therm, at M. 68°. 

Monday, March 26. — I went on deck at seven 
o'clock, A. M., and found the brig gliding briskly 
along with all drawing sails set. Since yester- 
day, the water has changed from a dark green to 
a light blue color, but whether caused by the com- 
mingling of the water of the Kio de la Plata or 
other causes, I am unable to state. This forenoon, 
while below writing, I heard a tremendous huzzaing 
on deck, and hurrying U]) I saw a short distance 
ahead of the brig a school of porpoises numbering 
several hundred, puffing, blowing, jumping, skip- 
ping and performing all manner of gymnastics. 
After having amused us half an hour with their 
feats of agility, they made their exit, playing leap- 
frog over each otlier's backs. 

At one o'clock this afternoon the brig was struck 
by a flaw of wind, which carried away her main- 
royal yard. The broken yard was immediately sent 
down and a new one rigged and sent up. A broken 
spar floated past us to-day, which had probably 
been lost by a vessel off Cape Horn. We have 



ALL HANDS ON ALLOWANCE OF WATEPw 99 

to-daj seen five vessels bound northward. Distance 
sailed, 115 miles. Lat. 35° 43'. Therm, at M. 67°. 

Tuesday, March 27. — During to-day we have 
been surrounded by a thick fog, and the weather 
has been quite chilly. Flannel shirts and drawers, 
cloth 2:>ants and coats, which have been stowed away 
during the past forty days, made their apj)earance 
on deck this morning, and judging from my own 
personal experience, they were very acceptable. 
During the morning we had a fair but light breeze, 
which died away at one o'clock, and this afternoon 
the brig has been rolling and the sails flapping 
against the masts. 

An albatross, measuring probably ten feet across 
its wings, has accompanied us all day, occasionally 
resting on the surface of the water for a few moments. 
The Captain being in a very bad humor with him- 
self this afternoon, and wishing to curdle the milk 
of human kindness in the breasts of others, has put 
all hands on an allowance of water. Distance sailed, 
189 miles. Lat. 38° 44'. Therm, at M. 63°. 

Wednesday, March 28. — The wind to-day has been 
blowing fresh from S. S. W., dead ahead, and the 
weather has been uncomfortably cold, the thermome- 
ter having fallen twenty degrees during the past four 
days. If the mercury in the thermometer continues 
to fall in this ratio, it will be frozen in the bulb 
before we reach Cape Horn. Those of the passen- 
gers who did not break out their flannels yesterday, 
have to-day donned their red shirts and California 
miningjboots. Owing to a strong head-wind the 
brig has rolled worse and shipped heavier seas to- 



100 PREPARING FOR CAPE HORN. 

day than on any previous occasion during tlie pas- 
sage, wliicli lias kept both 2'>assengers and baggage 
constantly rolling and sliding about. 

Several of the passengers have been amusing 
themselves by shooting gulls, albatross and other 
sea-birds which have been hovering around the 
brig throughout the day. All the birds killed fell 
overboard, not one was saved. Distance sailed, 94 
miles. Lat. 40° 12'. Therm, at M. 55°. 

Tliursday, Ilarch 29. — The wind has been nearly 
dead ahead all day, Avliich has kej^t the brig six or 
seven points off her course. The sea is smoother 
than it has been for several days past, but the 
weather is quite winterish. The crew has been 
engaged to-day prej^aring the brig for Cape Horn. 
The foretop-gallant-mast was condemned and sent 
down, and a new spar sent up in its place. Sails 
split and torn since leaving Kio have been repaired, 
and everything made ready for the coming rough 
weather. 

A hook and line baited with jiork, was made fast 
to the stern-boat this morning for the purpose of 
catching albatross. About ten o'clock, A. M., one 
was hooked, but broke loose before the line could 
be hauled in. This afternoon, a school of whales, 
numbering forty or fifty, was discovered on our 
weather-quarter, distant about three miles. They 
accompanied us until sundown, at about the same 
relative distance as when first discovered. Distance 
sailed, ^5 miles. Lat. 39° 29'. Therm, at M. 53°. 

Friday, 3Iarch 30. — Throughout to-day we have 
been favored with a fair wind, and the weather is 



NEW ENGLAND WEATHER. 101 

miicli milder. During the past four clays, I have 
been eating salt pork and hard-tack with a relish 
that would astonish both Jews and Gentiles. If I 
carry my present apj^etite to California, it will be a 
very expensive companion, with flour at $60 a barrel 
and beefsteak at $1 a pound ! 

This afternoon, the passengers have been gathered 
about the deck in knots amusing themselves by 
playing cards, dominoes, backgammon and checkers. 

A humpbacked whale made his appearance this 
morning within 100 yards of the brig, and after 
blowing several times, shook the spray from his 
tail and disappeared. Distance sailed, 29 miles. 
Lat. 39° 34'. Therm, at M. dG"". 

Saturday, March 31. — The wind freshened grad- 
ually during the night, and throughout to-day has 
been blowing an eight-knot breeze, which is rapidly 
hastening us into colder weather. The weather 
during the j^ast week has been very much like that 
of New England in the month of October — cold, 
but bracing and invigorating. 

At the commencement of the voyage, the thoughts 
of doubling Cape Horn in the winter caused 

" Each particular hair to stand on end, 
Like quills upon the fretful porcupine ;" 

but the nearer I approach it, the less danger I 
apjorehend in doubling it. We are now within 
800 miles of Cape Horn, and the sea is as 
smooth as it was off the Cape de Verde Islands. 
Should the sea remain smooth and the wind con- 
tinue in the same quarter as now during the next 



102 all-fools' day. 

eight days, we shall have passed Cape Horn and 
reached the plncid ^vaters of the Pacific. Distance 
sailed, 128 miles. Lat. 41° 13'. Therm, at M. 54°. 

Sunday, Apinl 1. — Throughout last night, and 
up to meridian to-day, the wind has been light and 
baffling. At one o'clock, P. M., the barometer fell 
suddenly, and strong indications of a storm were 
observable, which caused the Captain to shorten 
sail forthwith. The men had scarcely laid down 
from aloft before we were struck by a white squall, 
which brought the brig down to her bearings and 
caused the spars and rigging to creak piteously. 
The gale soon subsided, and we were again gliding 
briskly over a smooth sea. 

The steerage steward informed the j^assengers 
this morning that they w^ere to have "fritters" for 
dinner, which caused them to eat a light breakfast 
and wait impatiently for the anxiously wished-for 
meal. At half-past twelve o'clock, the steward took 
his accustomed place at the steerage hatch, and 
2)lacing his arms akimbo, cried out at the top of his 
voice : " Steerage passengers will please lay below 
and get their dinner !" This summons had scarcely 
ceased echoing through the rigging, before two- 
thirds of the mess were below" gazing uj^on an 
empty table. After the rattling of boots on the 
ladder had ceased, the steward thrust his phiz below 
the hatch and asked the steerage gents if they were 
aware that the first day of April had arrived. 
Some relished the joke, others preferred " fritters ;" 
but all acknowledged themselves sold. The stew- 
ard, however, soon set matters to rights by pro- 



PERSEVERANCE MINING COMPANY. 103 

viding each person with a panful of " fritters " well 
slicked over with molasses. Distance sailed, 102 
miles. Lat. 42° 30'. Therm, at M. 56°. 

Monday, April 2. — I Avent on deck at seven 
o'clock this mornincf, and found the bris: steerins: 
her course w^itli yards square and studding-sails set 
below and aloft. The weather, strange to say, in- 
stead of growing colder as we approach Cape Horn, 
is gradually becoming milder. The thermometer 
has risen four degrees during the past three days. 
This afternoon the wind has been blowing very 
fresh, and the sea has been rougher than usual, 
which has caused the brig to roll heavily and ship 
frequent seas. 

The brothers Kelly and myself have to-day 
joined the " Perseverance Mining Company," 
which increases its membership to seven persons. 
I think Ave are noAV as well prepared for mining as 
any company bound for El Dorado. The joint 
stock of the company consists of twelve months' 
provisions, three tents, two batteaux, Avith mining 
implements of all descriptions and of the best 
quality. The following are the articles of agree- 
ment : — 

" KnoAV all men by these presents, that the un- 
dersigned have associated themselves together under 
the name and title of the ' PERSEVERAx^^CE Mining 
Company,' for the purpose of transacting business 
in California, and have mutually agreed upon 
and adopted the following rules and regulations, 
by which they mutually pledge themselves to be 
governed : 



10-1 ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT. 

"Article I. It is agreed tliat there sliall be one 
of the company chosen, by a majority of its mem- 
bers, who shall be styled Director, and who shall 
perform the duties of President. 

" Art. II. It is agreed that one other member 
shall be chosen as Treasurer of the company, who 
shall have in charge all moneys and j)roperty of 
the company. 

"Art. III. It is also agreed that there shall be 
one other member chosen as Secretary of the com- 
pany, who shall keep the books and accounts of the 
same. 

"Art. IV. It is agreed that the foregoing officers 
shall account to the company, at all times when 
requested to do so, and shall also be liable to re- 
moval at any time by a majority of said company. 

"Art. V. It is agreed that each member of the 
company shall bear his own expenses until he 
arrives in California. 

"Art. YI. It is agreed that each member shall 
contribute an equal proportion of the amount re- 
quired to increase the stock of mining implements, 
provisions, etc., for the conducting of business on 
their arrival in California, which shall belong to 
the joint stock of the company. 

"Art. VII. It is agreed that any member who 
sliall withdraw from the company, after his arrival 
in California, shall receive only such j^ortion of the 
joint stock as may be awarded to him by a vote of 
two-thirds of the members of said company, and he 
shall also receive his share of accrued profits at the 
time of withdrawal. 



INTOXICATING BEVEEAGES INTEEDICTED. 105 

"Art. VIII. It is agreed that in case of the death 
of any member of this company, the survivors shall 
forward to his legal representatives his share of the 
2^rofits at the time of his decease, with a full and 
complete statement of the affairs of the company, 
attested by the officers thereof. 

"Art. IX. It is agreed that the company shall 
pursue such business in California, or elsewhere, as 
shall be agreed upon by a majority of its members, 
and that the expenses of the company shall be 
mutually borne and the profits equally divided 
among them. 

"Art. X. It is agreed, and we hereby pledge 
ourselves, to support and protect each other in case 
of emergency and sickness, and in all cases to stand 
by each other as a band of brothers. 

"Art. XI. Inasmuch as the evil tendency of the 
use of intoxicating beverages in promoting disturb- 
ances, and in rendering persons unfit for business, 
and their liability to injure health, being well un- 
derstood, it is hereby agreed that from and after 
our arrival in California, no member of this com- 
pany shall use intoxicating liquors of any kind, 
except in case of urgent necessity. 

"Art. XII. It is agreed that in case any mem- 
ber shall intentionally violate either of the forego- 
ing articles, or hereafter refuse to be governed by 
them, he shall, after receiving his share of the joint 
stock and profits of the company, be expelled there- 
from. 

"Art. XIII. It is agreed that this company shall 
not be increased beyond the number of seven, un- 



106 OFFICERS OF THE COMPANY. 

less such addition be sanctioned by a unanimous 
vote. 

"Akt. XIV. It is also agreed that all vacancies 
that shall occur by death, expulsion or resignation, 
shall be filled by persons receiving the unanimous 
vote of the company. 

"Art. XY. It is furthermore agreed that in all 
matters relating to the company, the voice of its 
members shall be ascertained by ballot. 

" John Heyberger, " Samuel C. Upham, 
" William Fetter, " Amos S. Kelly, 
" Charles S. Kelly, " George Wilson, 
"Thomas S. Berger." 

The officers of "The Perseverance Mining 
Company" are: 

John Heyberger, PresH. Wm. Fetter, Trcas. 
Samuel C. Upham, Secretary. 

Distance sailed, 112 miles. Lat. 43° 17'. Therm, 
at M. o9°. 

[" The Perseverance Mining Company," like 
many others formed en route to the new El Dorado 
by sea and land, "vanished into thin air" soon after 
the arrival of its members in California. George 
Wilson, of San Francisco, Charles S. Kelly and 
S. C. Upham, both -residents of Philadelphia, are 
the only members of the above company known to 
be living at this time.] 



CHAPTER VI. 

Another gale — Salt-water coffee — Cabin stove broken — An- 
other hail-storm — Terra del Fuego — Staten Laud by moon- 
light — Double Staten Land — Death of Jocko, the sailors' 
pet — Furious gale off Cape Horn — The cook's galley cap- 
sized — Cabin passengers on a jamboree — Another gale — 
Drifting about in the region of icebergs — Raw pork and 
hard-tack — Fresh provisions all gone — Novel method of 
obtaining fresh grub at sea — Double Cape Horn — Boxing 
the compass — Passengers volunteer to stand watch — Capture 
of an albatross. 

Tuesday, April 3. — Throughout to-day the brig 
has been skimming along at the rate of seven knots 
an hour. 

We are within 600 miles of Cape Horn, and if 
we are blessed with a fair wind during the next five 
days, the Osceola will in all probability be pointing 
her head toward the north pole. This afternoon a 
school of porpoises played around us for several 
hours. The harpoon was made ready, and after 
several ineffectual attempts, one was finally struck, 
but in endeavoring to hoist him on board, the har- 
poon drew out and he was soon run down and 
devoured by his fishmates. Distance sailed, 168 
miles. Lat. 45° 32'. Therm, at M. 61°. 

Wednesday, Apinl 4. — At sundown last night the 
wind commenced blowing very fresh, and before 
midnight it increased to a gale, which raged with 
7 (107) 



108 SALT-WATER COFFEE. 

sucli faiy tlint the brig was hove to, and remained 
in tliat jwsition until da3'light this morning. Heavy 
head-seas have been running during the day, and 
the brig has been constantly plunging her head under 
water and ship^^ing seas, which have completely del- 
uged the forecastle and turned everything in that 
quarter topsy-turvy. The slush-barrel broke loose 
and jumped out of the bow-port, and a barrel of pork 
and the grindstone were about to follow suit, when 
they were secured by the cook and second mate. 

This morning, the cook not having the fear of a 
rope's end before his eyes, treated the cabin passen- 
gers to a pot of salt-water coffee. The circumstance 
being reported to the Captain, he ordered the knight 
of the frying-pan and ladle and his assistant aft, 
and administered to each a quart of salt-water, which 
they drank with a bad relish, judging from the 
contortions of their physiognomies. 

AVe are to-day about 40 miles distant from the 
eastern point of Cape Blanco, on the coast of Pata- 
gonia. During the jiast twenty-four hours the 
weather has been gradually growing colder, the 
thermometer having fallen ten degrees. Distance 
sailed, 115 miles. Lat. 47° 24'. Therm, at M. 51°. 

Tluu'sday, April 5. — Last night the wind headed 
us off our course five or six points, but this fore- 
noon it hauled around fair again and since meridian 
we have been steering our course with studding-sails 
set below and aloft. The heavy seas of yesterday 
have strained the brig and caused a slight leak for- 
ward. The sea has been quite smooth to-day and 
the weather cool but pleasant. A land-bird, very 



BROKEN STOVES AND COLD WEATHER. 109 

closely resembling a sparrow, flew on board this 
morning, and after fluttering about the deck and 
rigging a few moments took his departure over the 
lee-bow and was soon out of sight. A mast floated 
j)ast us this afternoon. It had probably been lost 
by some vessel off Cape Horn. Distance sailed, 
134 miles. Lat. 49° 17'. Therm, at M. 50°. 

Friday, April 6. — During last night and the 
greater part of to-day we have been heading our 
course, but owing to cross-seas have made but little 
progress. The weather is so cold that I have re- 
mained in my bunk nearly all the afternoon. 
Through the negligence of the Captain the cabin 
stoves have been broken, consequently the passen- 
gers have no fires to warm themselves by, which 
has caused unpleasant feelings. The steerage is at 
present the most comfortable part of the brig, and 
it is filled during the day with cabin passengers, 
some remaining during the night, preferring to 
sleep on chests rather than occupy their berths in 
the cabin. 

We are to-day passing between the Falkland 
Islands and the coast of Patagonia, the former 
being about 40 miles distant. Distance sailed, 96 
miles. Lat. 51° 39'. Therm, at M. 47°. 

Saturday, April 7. — In the early j^art of last 
night we were treated to a specimen of Cape Horn 
weather in the shape of a hail-storm, which lasted 
about thirty minutes, during which time hail-stones, 
from the size of a pea to that of a marble, fell 
in abundance. After the storm had ceased, the 
wind freshened, and before ten o'clock it blew a 



110 STATEN LAND BY MOONLIGHT. 

furious gale, before wliicli we were compelled to 
scud all night. The brig shipped seas constantly 
during the night, some of Avhich covered the deck 
to the depth of three feet, carrying into the lee 
scuppers everything movable. The deck over my 
berth leaked like a sieve, and every time the brig 
ship^^ed a sea I received a shower-bath gratis. 
Owing to head-winds and cross-seas, the brig has 
been laboring heavily all day — not making more 
than three knots an hour, and continually shipping 
seas. The moon changes to-day, and I hope the 
wind will follow suit and enable us to pass around 
Staten Land and double Cape Horn. At sundown 
we made Cape St. Diego, the south-eastern point 
of Terra del Fuego, distant about 25 miles. Dis- 
tance sailed, 143 miles. Lat. 53° 46'. Therm. 
at M. 44°. 

Sunday, April 8. — Last night at midnight I went 
on deck for the purpose of seeing Staten Land. By 
the aid of the moon, which was somewhat obscured 
by clouds, I could discern the mountains about 6 
miles distant towering to the clouds, their tops 
covered with 23erj)etual snow. Staten Land — rock 
would be the better word — is a mass of barren 
rocks GO miles long by 15 miles wide. The highest 
peaks rise several thousand feet above the level of 
the ocean, and are continually covered with snow, 
2:)resenting to the mariner a prospect as cheerless as 
they are barren and frigid. 

It was the Captain's intention to have passed 
through the Straits of Le Maire, thereby avoiding 
the passage around Staten Land, but as we were 



J 



BUEIAL AT SEA. Ill 

about to enter them, the wind chopped around and 
headed us off. 

At three o'clock this morning, we passed around 
the eastern point of Staten Land, and at daylight 
were off Easter Harbor, distant 10 miles, and 
heading our course toward Cape Horn, which we 
hope to double to-morrow evening ; but all human 
calculations are uncertain, particularly in this lati- 
tude. Before nine o'clock, A. M., we were in the 
midst of a furious gale, accompanied by rain and 
hail, whicli has driven us off our course and com- 
pelled us to steer toward the region of icebergs 
during the remainder of the day. A fair wind for 
twenty-four hours would place us in the Pacific to 
the northward of Cape Horn, but a head-wind will 
prevent us from reaching that point until dooms- 
day. Several of the passengers have amused them- 
selves to-day by catching gulls and Cape pigeons 
with a hook and line. 

The cold weather of the past week has been too 
severe for the delicate constitution of our monkey. 
He had a chill last night, which was succeeded by 
a violent fever, and this morning at daylight he 
was so far gone that neither hot drops, quinine nor 
burnt brandy could save him. At ten o'clock, A.M., 
he bade farewell to all things sublunary, and at 
meridian was sewed up in a duff-bag and cast 
overboard. /Sic transit glo7'ia Jocko ! Distance 
sailed, 85 miles. Lat. 54° m'. Therm, at M. 43°. 

Monday, April 9. — Daring last night the wind 
gradually died away, and this morning at daylight 
we were in a dead calm, an unusual occurrence in 



112 FAIE, WEATHER AND FOUL. 

this latitude. At seven o'clock, A. M., a fresh 
breeze sprang up from the south-east, which enabled 
us to steer our course with all drawing sails set, and 
glide along at the rate of eight knots an hour. 

All hands on board have been agreeably dis- 
appointed in regard to the weather \Yhich we 
have encountered in the vicinity of Cape Horn. 
Thus far it has been quite as pleasant as on the 
coast of North America during the month of Oc- 
tober, and there is every prospect of a continuation 
of fine weather for several davs. At this writing;, 
five o'clock, P. M., we are steering our course, and 
the brig is bowling along at the rate of nine knots. 
If we can only manage to hold this breeze until 
meridian to-morrow, we shall most likely be to the 
westward of Cape Horn. Distance sailed, 94 miles. 
Lat. do"" 44'. Therm, at M. 44°. 

Tuesday, April 10. — The wind of yesterday in- 
creased toward night, and at ten o'clock, P. M., it 
blew a furious gale. The brig shipped several 
heavy seas during the night, one of which capsized 
the steerage galley and broke it in several places. 
At midnight a huge wave broke over the forward 
cabin with such force as to cause several of the 
passengers to jump out of their berths and com- 
mence making preparations for a speedy departure 
for " Davy Jones's locker." 

The fiiir wind of yesterday impressed all hands 
with the behef that we would pass Cape Horn before 
midnight last night, and upon the sti*engtli of this 
supposition several of the after-cabin passenger's 
had a jollification which lasted all night and a part 



A SOUTH-WEST GALE. 115 

of this forenoon. The participants were as drunk 
as Bacchus and as merry as lords. About the time 
they had gotten fairly under way with a full head 
of steam on, the gale commenced, and, with the 
roaring of the elements and the carousing of the 
revelers, the night was rendered hideous. 

This morning at sunrise the gale had somewhat 
subsided, but in consequence of strong head-seas we 
have made very little j)rogress to-day. We are 
still to the south-east of the Horn, distant about 
40 miles, but hope to double it to-night. 

This afternoon two vessels were discovered on 
our weather-bow, about 5 miles distant, heading 
the same course as we are. One of the vessels 
resembles the bark Harriet Newell, which accom- 
panied us out of the port of Kio. The other vessel 
is probably the ship Architect. A cold, drizzling 
rain has been falling all day, rendering everything 
on deck, as well as below, very unpleasant. The 
sun being obscured by clouds to-day, no observa- 
tion was taken. Distance sailed, by log, 50 miles. 
Therm, at M. 44°. 

Wednesday, April 11. — A terrific south-west gale 
has been blowing all day. During the forenoon 
the brig lay to with her helm lashed, in which 
condition she behaved admirably, although the 
waves ran mountain-high and threatened to over- 
whelm her at every roll. At noon the storm-stay- 
sail was set, and at this time, six o'clock, P. M., we 
are laying to under that sail, with the wind blowing 
a perfect hurricane. There are persons on board 
the brig who have doubled Cape Horn several 



116 FRUGAL DIET. 

times, and at different seasons of the year, and 
tliey all say this is the severest gale they ever 
experienced in this vicinity. When the gale com- 
menced we were so near the southern extremity of 
the Cape that the loom of land was visible, and, 
had we been favored with a fair wind eight hours 
longer, we would have been steering north-west 
over the waters of the Pacific. To-day there has 
been no fire in either galley, consequently all hands 
have been compelled to subsist on low diet — raw 
salt pork and hard-tack ! 

At meridian we were 60 miles due south of 
Cape Horn. This afternoon a brig was reported 
on our lee-bow, distant 4 miles, laying to under 
bare poles. Distance sailed, 148 miles. Lat. 57° 
10'. Therm, at M. 46°. 

Thursday, April 12. — During last night the 
wind subsided considerably, but owing to cross-seas 
and a strong head-wind, we have made but very 
little progress during the past twenty-four hours. 
The sun arose clear this morning, and has not been 
obscured by a single cloud. The brig is rolling 
heavily, occasionally dipping her lower yards. 

The steerage galley was rigged up this morning, 
and although in a sadly-demoralized condition, has, 
with attentive watching, performed its usual office 
quite satisfactorily. 

The fresh provisions laid in at Kio for the use of 
the cabin passengers, gave out yesterday, and all 
hands on board are now placed on the same diet — 
salt beef, pork and hard-tack, with an occasional 
plum-pudding boiled in salt water for dessert ! 



GENUINE CAPE HOEN WEATHEK. 117 

Yesterday morning, being impressed with a de- 
sire to have something fresh for the inner man, 
either in the way of fish, flesh or fowl, I suggested 
to a friend the idea of catching a mess of Cape 
pigeons, which are hovering around the brig in 
abundance. A fishing-Hne was accordingly rigged 
by my friend, and with the hook baited with pork, 
he caught a half-dozen pigeons before noon. The 
birds were handed to me for the purpose of being 
cooked, which operation I j)erformed as well as my 
limited knowledge of the culinary art would admit 
of, and at six o'clock, P. M., we sat down to a supper 
of roast pigeons, stuffed with pork and onions. We 
ate the pork and onions — the pigeons were tJirown 
overboard! Distance sailed, 50 miles. Lat. 57°59'. 
Therm, at M. 42°. 

Friday, April 13. — Throughout last night and 
the greater jDart of to-day the weather has been 
cold, with frequent squalls accompanied by rain, 
snow and hail — genuine Cape Horn weather. Since 
the commencement of the stormy weather, the brig 
has been driven back to the eastward as far as 
Staten Land, and so long as this head-wind con- 
tinues we shall drift still further eastward. We are 
further south this morning than at any time since 
we rounded Staten Land, and judging from the cold- 
ness of the wind, I i^resume we are in the vicinity 
of icebergs and fields of floating ice. The thermom= 
eter has fallen seven degrees in the past twenty- 
four hours, and being without stoves or fires brings 
forcibly to mind scenes in the Antarctic, related to 
me by an officer of the U. S. Exploring Expedition 



118 HEADED OFF BY ADVERSE WINDS. 

wlio visited that icy region in the year 1839. 
While becahned on the equator, a majority of the 
passengers were wishing for a gale — anything 
rather than a calm ; but since we have been headed 
off so frequently, and driven about in these lati- 
tudes by adverse winds, the same individuals would 
gladly exchange positions with a vessel becalmed in 
the tropics, and also willingly submit to the shaving 
operation as performed by Neptune and his asso- 
ciates. Distance sailed, 84 miles. Lat. 6d)° 08'. 
Therm, at M. 35°. 

Saturday, April 14. — Early last night the wind 
hauled around to the north-east, and since that 
time the brig has been heading her course witli all 
drawing sails set. The wind has been fair all day 
and the sea quite smooth, which has enabled us to 
leave the frozen regions of the south ^o\q for those 
of a more genial temperature, at the rate of eight 
knots an hour. 

During the past ten days we have twice been off 
the pitch of Cape Horn, and have as often been 
driven back or headed off by adverse winds, but as 
there is luck in odd numbers, I hope that we shall 
be permitted to pass this time with flying colors. 
Should we be favored with a fair wind during the 
next twenty-four hours, we shall at the expiration 
of that time be so far to the northward and west- 
ward of the Horn that it will be a difficult matter 
for old Boreas to head us off and drive us toward 
the icebergs again. Distance sailed, 106 miles. 
Lat. 57° 34'. Therm, at M. 38°. 

Sunday, April 15. — Throughout last night wind 



THE SECOND MATE BROKEN. 119 

W. N. W., with frequent squalls accompanied by 
liail and snow, and to-day it has been cloudy with 
strong indications of more snow. At meridian, 
Cape Horn bore north-east, distant 125 miles; 
therefore wg are at last in the Pacific f Three 
cheers and a " tiger " for the Osceola ! 

This morning the Captain and second mate had 
an altercation in relation to the duties of the latter, 
which resulted in his being " broken " and ordered 
in the forecastle to do duty before the mast during 
the remainder of the voyage. It now remains to 
be seen whether the Captain Avill keep the "broken" 
mate's watch on deck or request the passengers to 
jDcrform that duty, as was the case previous to our 
arrival at Kio de Janeiro. Distance sailed, 112 
miles. Lat. 58° 11'. Therm, at M. 42°. 

Monday, April 16. — During last night and the 
greater 2:)art of to-day it has been squally wuth fre- 
quent showers, which has kept the crew busily 
engaged shortening and making sail. We are still 
steering to the westward, which keeps us in cold 
weather, but shall probably commence running 
northward to-morrow, which Avill soon bring us into 
warmer weather. 

Now that we are safely around Cape Horn, all 
hands are more anxious than ever to reach San 
Francisco, and in order to induce the Captain to 
carry a little more canvas on the brig, eight or ten 
of the passengers have volunteered their services 
to assist the crew in working her during the bal- 
ance of the voyage. Two vessels were reported on 
our^weather-bow this morning, standing to the 



120 BOXING THE COMPASS. 

westward. A large school of porjDoises paid us a 
visit this afternoon, and when they bade us adieu 
they were minus one of their number pierced with 
a harj)Oon, but in our efforts to get him on board, 
the iron drew out and he floated to the leeward. 
Distance sailed, 80 miles. Lat. 58° 14'. Therm, 
at M. 40°. 

Tuesday, April 17. — Throughout last night 
and to-day weather squally and a Scotch mist 
has been falling, rendering the atmosphere chilly 
and unpleasant. During the past twenty-four 
hours, the brig has completely boxed the com- 
23ass. Last night she headed west; this morning, 
at seven o'clock, north-west ; at meridian, north ; 
at two o'clock, P. M., south-east; at five o'clock, 
P. M., south, and at this writing, seven o'clock, 
P. M., she is heading south-west by west, which 
course the Captain desires to run until to-morrow 
noon, when, the wind permitting, he will steer 
northward. 

Our volunteers performed their duty last night 
to the entire satisfaction of the Captain, but the 
damp and chilly weather of to-day has comjDletely 
disheartened them. Three of the volunteers have 
made up their minds not to stand watch to-night, 
and have already turned into their berths. Dis- 
tance sailed, 148 miles, by log. No observation. 
Therm, at M. 43°. 

Wednesday, April 18. — Last night and to-day 
the rain has poured down in torrents, and the wind 
has been bloAving very fresh, causing the brig to 
roll heavily and occasionally to ship a sea. We 



A JONAH ON BOAED. 121 

steered a west course to-day, up to six o'clock, 
P. M., when the Captain wore the brig, and since 
that time we have been heading north-west, which 
will soon place us in mild and pleasant weather. 

During the past two days, in consequence of the 
cloudy state of the atmosphere, the Captain has not 
been able to take an observation by the sun, there- 
fore our position is not definitely known ; but I am 
of the opinion that we are in the neighborhood of 
75° west longitude, and latitude 58° south. If the 
Captain ascertains to-morrow that we are in 75° 
west longitude, we will steer our joresent course 
during the next two weeks, wind permitting. This 
afternoon and evening, several of the passengers 
have been trying to drive away dull care by playing 
chess, cards and dominoes. Distance sailed, 102 
miles, by log. 'No observation. Therm, at M. 44°. 

Thursday, April 19. — At midnight last night the 
brig was headed off her course by adverse winds, 
and during the remainder of the night and all day 
we have been heading south-west by west. Thus 
far, all our efforts to get to the northward have been 
futile. If by chance we get a slant of wind that 
enables us to run to the northward four or five, 
hours, a head -wind invariably drives us back to 
Cape Horn. We certainly have a Jonah on board 1 
During the day it has been squally, with occasional 
showers accompanied by hail. 

This afternoon one of the passengers caught an 
albatross measuring across the wings from tip to tip, 
seven feet and two inches. It was captured with a 
hook baited with pork. Having been inspected by 



122 DRIFTING TOWAED CAPE HOEN. 

all hands, it was placed in tlie chicken-coop for 
safe-keeping. Distance sailed, 94 miles, by log. 
No observation. Therm, at M. 42°. 

Friday, April 20. — At eight o'clock, A. M., we 
were struck by a squall which carried our foresail 
completely out of the bolt-rope, and the yards and 
masts would have gone by the board had not the 
passengers jumped on deck and assisted the crew in 
taking in sail and making things secure. The first 
mate had charge of the deck at the commencement 
of the squall, but in consequence of his tardiness in 
the management of the brig, he was relieved by the 
Captain, who immediately clewed up and furled 
every sail with the excej^tion of the foretop-mast- 
stay sail, under which we have been laying to during 
the forenoon. The squall has increased to a gale, 
and at this time, three o'clock, P. M., the wind is 
blowing a hurricane, which is drifting the brig 
toTv^ard Cape Horn at the rate of six knots an hour. 
After the gale had partially subsided, the Captain 
called the mate aft and read him a lecture on the 
management of a vessel in a storm, every sentence 
of which was rounded off with an oath, which drove 
the subject home and clinched it effectually. Dis- 
tance sailed, 80 miles. Lat. 57° 33'. Therm, at 
M. 42°. 



CHAPTER VII. 

Another severe gale— Swollen limbs— Is it scurvy ?— Captain 
and mate have a growl— Fight between two passengers- 
One of the passengers celebrates his birthday— Gambling 
on board, and the Captain's mode of suppressing it— Fair 
wind once more— Passengers again on deck— Punishing a 
ship's boy— Passengers object to putting into Talcahuana— 
Anchors gotten over the bow— Passengers watching for land 
—Make the coast of Chili— Head-wind— Driven out to sea. 

Saturday, April 21.— The gale of yesterday con- 
tinued throughout last night, during which time I 
did not close my eyes, for fear of being thrown out 
of my berth by the continual rolling of the brig. 
This storm is the severest we have encountered 
during the passage— the barometer at one time 
being as low as 29°. 

Early this morning the mainsail, top-sail, spanker 
and jib were set, a new foresail broke out of the 
sail-room and bent on. Throughout the day we 
have been steering north-west by west, but owing 
to a light wind and heavy cross-seas, have made 
very little headway. During yesterday we must 
have drifted at least 75 miles to the southward 
and eastward, which places us in about the same 
locality that we were this day week. This morning 
a bria; was reported directly astern of us, distant 

(123) 



124 CHILBLAINS OR SCUKVY. 

about G miles, heading north-east. Distance sailed, 
64 miles. Lat. 58° 15'. Therm, at M. 42°. 

Sunday, April 22. — The breeze of yesterday 
continued throughout last night, which has enabled 
us to reo-ain what we lost durins; the 2;ale of last 
Friday. This morning the wind choj^ped around 
to the north-west, which has compelled us to head 
south-west bv west all day. Last nio-ht our 
amateur sailors again volunteered their services, 
and worked like Trojans, pulling and hauling at 
the ropes. 

My feet have been very sore the past week, and 
to-day they are so badly swollen that it is with 
oTcat difficultv I can draw on niv boots. One-third 
of the passengers are similarly afflicted. Whether 
this swelling of the feet is occasioned by chilblains 
or the scurvy, I am unable to state, but am inclined 
to the belief that it is the incipient symptoms of the 
latter disease. Distance sailed, 130 miles. Lat. 
6Q>° 53'. Therm, at M. 42°. 

Jlonday, April 2o, — Fair wind all last night and 
to-day, which has enabled us to steer our course 
over the Southern Ocean at the rate of six knots an 
hour. Should this wind continue until to-morrow 
evening, we will have made sufficient longitude to 
warrant our steering a northwardly course. Tlie 
weather is as coquettish as a maiden in her teens. 
At sunrise the mercury in the thermometer was 
down to 41° ; at two o'clock, P. M., it stood at 50° ; 
at three o'clock, P. M., 52°, and in two hours there- 
after it was down to 45°. 

Two vessels were in sight this afternoon ; one a 



PAETIALITY FOK THE HORN. 12o 

bark, on our starboard-bow, distant about 8 niiles, 
and the other a brig, on our larboard quarter, 10 
miles off, both standing to the westward. They 
are, no doubt, California passenger vessels. Dis- 
tance sailed, 118 miles. Lat. 57° 14'. Therm, at 
M. 48°. 

Tuesday, April 24. — The breeze which we carried 
throughout yesterday died away in the evening, and 
during the remainder of the night it was squally, 
causing the watch on deck to be constantly exer- 
cising the sails. To-day we have been steering a 
northerly course, but owing to frequent squalls 
and a strong head-sea, have made but very little 
progress. The squalls have been accompanied by 
rain, hail and snow — gentle reminders of Cape 
Horn. 

The Osceola seems to have fallen desperately in 
love with Cape Horn, and appears loath to leave, 
judging from the manner in which she is dodging 
around in this region. We are no farther from 
CajDe Horn than we Avere ten days ago, and God 
only knows when we shall be permitted to leave 
this locality. A strange fatality seems to hang 
over us ! Who is the Jonah ? Distance sailed, 
114 miles. Lat. 57° 04'. Therm, at M. 40°. 

Wednesday^ April 25. — To-day we have been 
steering north by west with a light wind, conse- 
quently have made very little headway. A strong 
head-sea has been setting down from the north all 
the past week, which has retarded our progress. 

The Captain and mate had a growl yesterday 
concerning their relative positions on shipboard. 



126 AN ALBATROSS FOR DINNER. 

The Captain swore that his views were correct, but 
the mate begged leave to differ with him, which at 
once aroused tlie old man's ire, and seizing a belay- 
ing-pin from the rail, he handed it to the mate, and 
in language more forcible than polite, requested him 
to knock his (the Captain's) brains out ! The mate 
declined to j^erform the sanguinary operation, and 
the old skipper is still left to growl whenever he 
feels disj)0sed to indulge in his favorite pastime. 

A homeward-bound vessel passed us this after- 
noon to the windward, distant about 10 miles. 
This evening one of the jDassengers shot an alba- 
tross which fell on deck. The wings were given to 
the steerage steward ; the skin and feathers were 
retained by the j)erson who killed the bird, and the 
carcass will be served up to-day at two o'clock, 
P. M., for the especial benefit of steerage mess No. 
1. Thank God, I don't belong to that mess ! / 
can eat albatross, but I donH hanker after it. Dis- 
tance sailed, 110 miles. Lat. 6b° 48'. Tlierm. at 
M. 41°. 

Thursday, April 26. — Last night at eight o'clock, 
the Captain wore ship and stood to the westward 
until three o'clock this morning, when it commenced 
blowing a gale from the north-east which continued 
until noon, the brig scudding before it with canvas 
barely sufficient to keep her steady. At one o'clock, 
P. M., the wind lulled and the mainsail, foresail, 
jib and top-sails — the latter being close-reefed — were 
set, and during the remainder of the afternoon the 
brig has been heading a northerly course, which I 
hope will soon carry us into warmer weather. 



AN AFFRAY BETWEEN TWO PASSENGERS. 127 

One hundred days since we left Philadelphia, 
and we are not 30 miles to the northward of Cape 
Horn. Should the latter part of our voyage j)rove 
as tedious and unpleasant as the first, we shall all 
hail with joy the land of promise to which we are 
bound, whether we realize fortunes or not. If ever 
sixty-five individuals were more heartily disgusted 
with a sea voyage than are the passengers on board 
this brig, I have yet to make their acquaintance. 
Distance sailed, 144 miles. Lat. 55° 04'. Therm, 
at M. 46°. 

Friday, April 27. — Last night at eight o'clock, 
the wind headed us off our course, and the Captain 
wore the brig and stood to the westward. At two 
o'clock this morning a gale crossed our path and 
the brig was hove to under foretop-mast-stay sail, 
in which position she remained until eight o'clock, 
A. M., when the foresail and top-sails Avere spread 
to the breeze, and since that time we have been 
heading northwardly and rolling over the water 
against a head-sea at the rate of three knots an 
hour. Last night it was showery, but the weather 
to-day has been delightfully j^leasant. 

An altercation occurred this morning between 
two of the cabin passengers, which caused a general 
rush toward the scene of action. During the affray 
one of the combatants drew a knife from his pocket, 
which was secured and thrown overboard before he 
had an opportunity of using it on his antagonist. 

This afternoon a cabin passenger caught an alba- 
tross measuring ten feet four inches across the wings, 



128 GAMBLINa. 

from tip to tip. Distance sailed, 98 miles. Lat. 
04° 4G'. Therm, at M. 4G°. 

Saturday, A2:)ril 28. — The brig has steered her 
course all day with all canvas set ; the weather has 
been mild and j^leasant. 

Night before last, our amateur sailors declined to 
stand watch in consequence of the cook's having 
refused to serve them with their accustomed allow- 
ance of coffee during the morning watch. The cir- 
cumstance was reported to Captain Fairfowl, who 
soon arranged matters to their entire satisfaction, 
and last night they were again on deck pulling and 
hauling the ropes as usual. The past week the 
gambling fever has again been raging fiercely on 
board, several of the cabin passengers having 
bucked away their last cent. Some of them have 
become so infatuated with this damnable vice that 
they have cut the buttons from their coats, vests and 
inexpressibles, for the purpose of j^h^ying button 
bluff. Distance sailed, 134 miles. Lat. 52° 50'. 
Therm, at M. 48°. 

Sunday, April 29. — Last night the brig headed 
N. N. E., being two points to the eastward of her 
course. The weather during the night was squally 
with occasional showers. At eight o'clock, A. ]\L, 
the Captain wore the brig, and since that time we 
have been makins: a due west course. The Aveather 
has been chilly, and this afternoon a cold, drizzling 
rain has been falling. Three weeks ago this 
morning we rounded Staten Land, and at this 
time we are only one degree north of the Straits 
of Magellan. 



A FAEO-BANK. 129 

The old skipper turned out of liis berth this 
morning in a very bad humor, and during the day 
has, to use a nautical phrase, been "working up" 
the sailors. They have been employed all day 
moving the larboard chain cable aft on the quarter 
deck, for the purpose of bringing the brig down 
more by the stern, thereby enabling her to sail 
faster and make less leeway. Sunday brings no 
rest for poor Jack. 

" Six clays shalt thou labor, 
And do all thou art able, 
On the seventh, wash decks 
And haul aft the cable /" 

Distance sailed, 101 miles. Lat. 51° 39'. Therm, 
at M. 4G°. 

Monday, April 30. — During the past twenty- 
four hours the brig has been wrestling with a head- 
wind and cross-seas. A cold rain has been falling 
since morning which has caused the passengers to 
remain in close quarters all day. 

A faro-bank has been in operation in the after- 
cabin this afternoon, and several hundred dollars 
have changed hands. At sundown the bank was 
closed, but after supper it was again opened, and at 
this writing, eight o'clock, P. M., I hear the checks 
rattling on the table over my head. 

The sun being obscured by clouds, no observa- 
tion was taken. Distance sailed, by log, 114 miles. 
Therm, at M. 48°. 

Tuesday, 3Iay 1. — Early last night the wind 
commenced blowing furiously from the north-west, 
and at midnight we were in the midst of a hurri- 



130 ANOTHER FURIOUS GALE. 

cane. At dayliglit tliis morning the brig was hove 
to, and she has been hiying in that position, under 
the foretop-mast-stay sail, all day. 

The after-cabin hlaclclcgs opened their faro bank 
again this morning, and after gambling until noon, 
concluded to suspend operations until the storm 
subsided. Distance sailed, 35 miles. Lat. 50° b&. 
Therm, at M. 48°. 

Wednesday, May 2. — The gale continued to rage 
througliout last night with increased violence. Dur- 
ing the night, the brig shipped several of the heaviest 
seas I ever saw break over the bow of a vessel. 
She shipped one in the early part of the evening 
that washed the steerage cook and a ship's boy out 
of the galley and carried them on an excursion 
down the lee scuppers as far as the companion-way, 
where they brought up hard and fast against a 
chicken-coop jambed between a water-cask and the 
bulwarks. 

The brig rolled so heavily all night that several 
of the passengers on the weather-side were pitched 
out of their berths among the trunks and boxes. 
Fortunately no bones were broken. 

At dayliglit this morning the gale subsided, the 
wind hauled to the south-west, and we have been 
heading our course with all drawing-sails set, but a 
strong head-sea has prevented us from making 
much headway. This morning all hands were put 
on an allowance of two quarts of water per man. 
This arrangement will answer very well so long as 
the weather continues cool, but in a warmer climate 
it will scarcely suffice for cooking purposes. Dis- 



CAPT. FAIRFOWL lllGHT FOR ONCE. 131 

tance sailed, 28 miles. Lat. 50° 44'. Therm, at 
M. 46°. 

Thursday, 3Iay 3. — Througliout last night the 
weather was squally with frequent showers. Since 
sunrise the wind has been ou the increase, and 
strong indications of a gale before midnight are 
visible. A Scotch mist has been falling all day, 
and this afternoon the brig has been completely 
enveloped by a dense fog. One of the steerage 
passengers celebrated his birthday yesterday, and 
the result was that at least a dozen of his com- 
panions retired to their berths in a state of inebria- 
tion. The brig has been surrounded all day by 
gulls, goneys, albatross and other sea-birds. Dis- 
tance sailed, 116 miles. Lat. 51° 01'. Therm, 
at M. 48°. 

Fridaij, 3Iay 4. — My predictions yesterday in 
relation to a gale were verified. When the sun 
set last night the wind commenced blowing a severe 
gale, Avhicli continued until midnight, when it sud- 
denly lulled and soon after we were becalmed. 
To-day the wind has been light and baffling, which 
has caused the Captain to wear the brig three times 
since sunrise. The weather during the forenoon 
has been foggy, damj:) and chilly. 

Captain Fairfowl to-day issued n. pronunciamiento 
to the blacklegs, and also gave the mate orders to 
furl all the sails and lay the brig to should he 
witness any more gambling on board during the 
voyage. This order created considerable excite- 
ment among the gamblers at first, but they soon 
cooled down and became as docile as lambs. The 



132 FAVORABLE WINDS ONCE MORE. 

Captain says, and lie is in dead earnest, that there 
shall be no more gambling on board the Osceola, 
but all hands, including the cook, have permission 
to pray as long and as loud as they please. Tally 
one for Captain Fairfowl. 

Now that gambling has been squelched, the Cap- 
tain predicts a fair wind within the next twenty- 
four hours. We shall see. Distance sailed, 72 
miles. Lat. 50° 30'. Therm, at M. 49°. 

Saturday, May 5. — At eight o'clock last night 
the wind hauled around to the south-west, which 
has enabled us to steer our course, which we have 
been heading, with square yards, for the first time 
in thirty days, but the wind has been so light that 
we have made very little progress. The crew has 
been employed reeving studding-sail gear, and I 
hope that we shall have studding-sails set below 
and aloft to-morrow. 

This morning I had a fine view of a Unbacked 
whale, which I should judge would measure sixty 
feet in length. Distance sailed, 110 miles. Lat. 
49° 34'. Therm, at M. 47°. 

Sunday, 3Iay 6. — Throughout last night we were 
blessed with a fair wind, which has continued to- 
day, and wafted us along toward our j^ort of desti- 
nation at the rate of nine knots an hour. Several 
showers of rain, accompanied by hail, have fallen 
to-day, which have rendered the atmosphere chilly. 

The weather foretop-mast studding-sail was set 
this morning, and it did good service until noon, 
when the wind hauled slightly ahead, and it was 
taken in. We have not carried studding-sails 



MILD AND PLEASANT WEATHEPw 133 

before in thirty clays, in consequence of continued 
head-winds. The Captain hailed the setting of the 
studding-sails this morning as a good omen, and 
immediately ordered an additional pint of water to 
be served out with our daily allowance, which will 
hereafter be tw^o quarts and one pint, and shocking 
bad water at that. 

To-day the passengers have had their mattresses 
and blankets spread on deck for the purpose of 
giving them an airing, which they needed very 
much. Early yesterday morning a bark was 
reported on our lee-bow, distant about 10 miles, 
heading to the northward. We gained on her 
so fast during the day, that at sundown she was 
nearly hull down astern of us. Distance sailed, 140 
miles. Lat. 47° 20'. Therm, at M. 46°. 

Monday, Hay 7. — During the past twenty-four 
hours the brig has been steering her course at the 
rate of nine knots an hour. The weather is be- 
coming more mild and j^leasant, and " life on the 
ocean wave" seems more endurable. The passen- 
gers who have been shivering with the cold w^eather 
for the past twenty days, are skipping about the 
deck as lively as larks, enjoying a little sunshine. 
The mercury in the thermometer marked 53° to- 
day, being the first time it has reached that j^oint 
in thirty days. 

All hands were very much amused to-day by a 
novel punishment inflicted on one of the ship's 
boys. A pig, ^veighing twenty pounds, was slung 
under the right arm of the culprit by a lashing that 
passed over his right shoulder and around the body 



134 A NOVEL PUNISHMENT. 

of the j^orker. Thus accoutred, he was ordered by 
the Captain to march around the deck twelve times, 
which command he obeyed to the infinite amuse- 
ment of all hands, who lined the deck on either 
side. The scene reminded me of a Scotch piper. 
At every step he jerked his elbow into the side of 
poor piggy, at the same time pinching his ear, 
which caused his porkship to discourse most shrill 
and discordant music. Distance sailed, 184 miles. 
Lat. 43° 58'. Therm, at M. 5G°. 

Tuesday, 3Iay 8. — We had a fair wind last night, 
which has continued to-day, and the brig has been 
gliding along at the rate of eight knots an hour. 
The weather still continues showery, although it is 
gradually growing warmer. 

We have, in the last fifty hours, made nearly 500 
miles on our course, Avliich is very gratifying to 
all on board. Yesterday, when the latitude was 
reported by the Captain, all hands gave three 
cheers and a " tiger," which seemed to shake the 
brig from stem to stern, and add fresh impetus to 
her speed. 

A diversity of opinion j^revails among the pas- 
sengers in regard to the port we shall next stop at 
for provisions and water. When we left Kio it was 
generally believed that our next stopping-place 
>vould be Valparaiso, but at present a rumor is rife 
that the brig will put into the j^ort of Talcahuana. 
The old skipper is so obstinate that he will not 
gratify the passengers by informing them in which 
port he will drop anchor. Distance sailed, 190 
miles. Lat. 41° OG'. Therm, at M. 55°. 



STEERING DIRECT FOK TALCAHUANA. 135 

Wednesday, Hay 9. — Fair but light wind during 
the last twenty-four hours. The weather is delight- 
fully pleasant, and all hands are on deck indulging 
in a sun-bath. 

The agony is over. This morning the Captain 
altered the course of the brig, and since that time 
we have been steering direct for Talcahuana, where 
we hojDe to arrive day after to-morrow. This after- 
noon, at the request of the Captain, I made out a 
list of naval rations for eighty-two persons for 
seventy days. The provisions will be purchased at 
Talcahuana, and the probability is that we shall not 
stop again until we reach San Francisco. This 
evening one of the passengers had a severe attack 
of the cramp colic which came very near causing him 
to lose the number of his mess. Distance sailed, 
180 miles. Lat. 38° 54'. Therm, at M. 57°. 

Thursday, May 10. — We are still blessed with a 
fair wind, and are jogging along at the rate of six 
knots an hour. Royal yards were sent up this 
morning, and we have carried royals and studding- 
sails during the day. The anchors were gotten over 
the bow this afternoon, the chain cables hauled for- 
ward and shackled, and everything forward made 
ready for coming to anchor. During the afternoon 
the tops and yards have been crowded with passen- 
gers watching for land, but they have been disap- 
pointed, no land being visible at sundown. 

Yesterday morning, the second mate was called 
aft by the Captain and restored to duty, and during 
the remainder of the voyage he will be entitled to 
the pfivilege of sleeping in the steerage and eating 



13G LAND IN SIGHT. 

his meals in the cabin or galley. A school of 
sperm-whales made their a^ipearance yesterday 
afternoon and accompanied us for several hours. 
Distance sailed, 143 miles. Lat. 37° 50'. Therm, 
at M. 59°. 

Friday, May 11. — We steered our course all last 
night, but this morning the wind hauled around 
to the northward and headed us off three or four 
points. At meridian the Captain informed us that 
we were 40 miles to the leeward of Talcahuana, 
therefore there is little hope of reaching that port 
to-morrow unless the wind becomes more favorable. 

This forenoon land was reported half a dozen 
times by different individuals, but like the French- 
man's flea, when they looked the second time it 
was not there. At sundown, however, terra firma 
was really discovered on our lee-bow, distant about 
30 miles. Another school of whales visited us this 
afternoon, and after following in our wake for an 
hour turned flukes and disappeared. Several of 
the passengers have been busily engaged skinning 
and stuffing albatross and other sea-birds, but 
whether they will ever reach the United States, 
remains to be seen. Distance sailed, 112 miles. 
Lat. 37° 12'. Therm, at M. 59°. 

Saturday, May 12. — The wind continued ahead 
all night, and in order to work the brig as far to 
the Avindward as possible, the Captain wore her at 
the commencement of each watch. 

At daylight this morning, the Island of Santa 
Maria and the Paps of Talcahuana were distinctly 
in view; the latter on our weather bow, distant 



THE PAPS OF TALCAHUANA. 137 

about 30 miles. We continued beating toward tbe 
harbor during the forenoon, and woukl probably 
have come to anchor ere this had we not encoun- 
tered a norther, which compelled us to give the 
land a wide berth ; therefore the Captain wore the 
brig and stood to the westward, which course we 
are steering at this time, eight o'clock, P. M. A 
cold, drizzling rain has been falling at intervals 
this afternoon, which has kept the passengers in 
their quarters. 

The Captain and hrst mate had another growl 
in relation to the duty of the latter, and during the 
wrangle the lie direct was given on both sides. The 
old skip2^er swears that he will discharge the first 
mate on our arrival in Talcahuana, and the second 
mate says if the Captain does not serve him in like 
manner he will take the liberty of discharging him- 
self. It is probable that both mates will be dis- 
charged at that 2)lace and other officers shipped 
to fill the vacancies. Distance sailed, 40 miles. In 
consequence of being in sight of land no observation 
was taken at meridian. Therm, at M. 68°. 

Sunday, May 13. — The norther of yesterday con- 
tinued blowing furiously until two o'clock this 
morning, when it suddenly abated. Two hours 
afterward, the wind hauled around to the north- 
west, and the Captain wore the brig and stood to 
the northward and eastward, which direction we 
have continued all day. During last night we were 
driven so far to the southward and westward that 
we did not make the land again until five o'clock 
this evening. At sundown we were about 15 miles 



138 LOOKING FOE, LAND. 

to the windward of tlie harbor of Talcahuana. 
Owing to the darkness of the night the Captain 
will not attempt to run in, but will lay off and on 
until morning, when, if the wind remains fair, we 
shall run into the harbor. The j^assengers have 
been looking anxiously for land throughout the 
entire day, and several have dressed themselves for 
shore in order to be in readiness for the first boat 
that leaves the brig after the anchor is down. 
Distance sailed, 70 miles. Lat. 36° 35'. Therm, 
at M. 62°. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Put into tlie wrong harbor — Passengers go ashore — Reception 
by the natives of De Chatta — Deserters — Dine with the 
Alcalde — Ascertain our whereabouts, and start for Talca- 
huana — Scenery en route — Chilian peasantry — Their respect 
for the dead — Primitive wine-press and threshing-machine — 
Quarter of a century later — Henry INIeiggs — His arrival in 
Chili — Brief sketch of his eventful life — Peace to his ashes. 

3Ionday, May 14. — Last night about eight o'clock 
we came very near running aground on a reef off 
the harbor of Talcahuana, which caused a panic 
among the passengers. We hugged the land closely 
during the night, and at daylight this morning dis- 
covered through the fog an opening, into which 
we ran, the Captain su^^posing it to be the harbor 
of Talcahuana, but soon discovering his mistake, 
let go the anchor. When the sun had dispelled 
the fog, we found ourselves in a small bay, the 
name of which we coukl not determine. We could 
not put to sea, as a stiff breeze was blowing directly 
into the mouth of the bay ; therefore the Captain 
concluded to go ashore and ascertain his where- 
abouts. The skipper gave the passengers permis- 
sion to accompany him, and the boats were soon 
filled and pulling for the shore with willing hands. 
We landed near a mud hut with a thatched i"Oof, 
wliich was occupied by an old man and woman, 
who received us with a hearty welcome, and set 

(139) 



140 IX THE WRONG HARBOE. 

before us wine, bread and apples, to all of wliicli we 
did amj)le justice, and for which our host declined 
to receive any remuneration. We, however, pre- 
vailed on him to accept a cigar from each of us. 
We endeavored by signs and gestures to ascertain 
the name of the bay in which the brig was at anchor 
and its distance from Talcahuana. To the former 
question he shrugged his shoulders and shook 
his head, and to the latter he pointed to the 
southward. The old man soon started over the 
sand-hills to the northward and beckoned us to 
follow. From the top of the first hill we discovered 
a settlement about a half-mile distant, consisting of 
about twenty mud huts, for which we started at full 
run. On our arrival in the village the men met us 
with fear and trembling, and the women and chil- 
dren took refuge in the huts and looked cautiously 
at us through the cracks and holes in the walls, as 
we passed. 

Among the first party that met us at the entrance 
to the village Avere a Yankee and an Englishman, 
Avho had deserted from a whale-ship at Talcahuana 
and were en route to Valparaiso, wliere they in- 
tended to ship for San Francisco. From the Yan- 
kee, we learned that the Osceola was at anchor in 
the Bay De Chatta, 9 miles to the northward of 
the harbor, and 27 miles from the town of Talca- 
huana. AVe also learned that there was a road 
leading to the village of Tome, distant about 7 
miles and situated on the north-east side of the bay 
of Talcahuana, from which place we could embark 
in whale-boats and reach Talcahuana before night. 



ON" THE ROAD TO TOME. 141 

The Ca23tain assented to our proposed adventure, 
and, after dining at the house of the alcakle, myself 
and thirteen other passengers started for Tome, 
where we arrived at five o'clock, P. M. 

The road was very muddy and slippery, caused 
by the rain of the previous night, yet the scenery 
through "which it wound, and the numerous pictur- 
esque views of the Bay De Chatta and harbor of 
Talcahuana, doubly repaid us for the fatigue en- 
dured while performing the journey. The peas- 
antry of Chili are the most unsophisticated and 
hospitable people I have ever met. During our 
journey across the mountains we frequently stopped 
at their huts for water, and they invariably offered 
us wme, for which they declined to receive any 
compensation. At one hut at which I called for a 
drink of water, the 8enora was eating a quince, one- 
half of which she presented to me and insisted on 
my eating it. I comj)lied without much persuasion, 
as fruit of any kind was a luxury after having been 
deprived of it for forty days. On the road we 
passed several apple-orchards, vineyards, strawberry 
patches and fields of wheat. At nearly all the road- 
crossings, I noticed rudely-constructed crosses, one 
of which, fashioned more smoothly than the others, 
was entwined with evergreens and fancifully deco- 
rated with flowers — the work, most likely, of some 
dark-eyed sefiorita, who delighted in performing 
this office of affection over the grave of a lover or 
brother. 

Chilian wine possesses a peculiar flavor, which I 
could not account for until I had witnessed the pro- 



142 A DIGRESSION. 

cess of manufacture, wliicli is decidedly j)rimitive. 
A lai'ge tub is partly filled with grapes which are 
crushed by the naked feet of the natives, and after 
fermentation tlie juice is bottled and labeled wine. 
In justice to the grape-mashers, I will add, they 
always wash their feet — after leaving the tub. 

A Chilian threshing-machine is also quite as 
primitive and novel as the wine-press. The thresh- 
ing is executed by mule-power, without the aid of 
machinery. A hard-beaten j^ath or circle, very 
much resembling a circus-ring, is formed around 
the wheat-stack, and when ready for operation the 
sheaves are thickly strewn around the circle, and 
mules of all grades, good, bad and indifferent, are 
turned loose into the inclosure and kept moving 
lively to the music of the whip until tlie grain is 
thoroughly separated from the sheaves. A Chilian 
threshing-machine never requires oiling, but it 
sometimes becomes obstinate and kicks up behind. 

[With the reader's permission, I desire to digress 
a moment from the thread of my narrative. A 
quarter of a century has wrought wonderful changes 
in the Kepublic of Chili. The wooden plough, 
primitive wine-press and thresliing-machine have 
been suj^planted by the introduction of modern and 
improved Yankee appliances. The world moves, 
and Chili now occnpies a front seat in the car of 
progress ! 

To a single man, an American, is dne in a large 
measure her wonderful progress during the past 
twenty-five years, and that man was the late Henry 
Meiggs, who died at Lima, Peru, on the 2yth day 




From a portrait, by the National Bank Note Co.. N. Y. 




HENEY MEIGGS. 145 

of September, 1877, aged sixty-eiglit years. Harry 
Meiggs was, in many respects, one of the most re- 
markable men of the present century. The follow- 
ing brief history of his eventful life, gleaned from 
various sources, is believed to be correct : 

Henry Meiggs was born in Greene County, N. Y., 
in the year 1811. He began life in Catskill as a 
lumber merchant, with the late James Milliard, 
who at that time was one of the most extensive 
lumber dealers between New York and Albany. 
Mr. Meiggs lived in Catskill until he was twenty- 
five years of age, going from there in 1835 or 1836 
to Williamsburgh, L. I., where he again went into 
the lumber trade with Minor Keith, now living 
near Babylon, L. I., who married his sister, Clara 
Meiggs. Keith was formerly from Cairo, Greene 
County, and brother-in-law of General George 
Beach, ex-State Senator, who married his sister. 

Mr. Meiggs remained with Milliard several years. 
He was the leader of the choir in St. Luke's Church. 
He was well versed in the lumber trade, highly 
respected, a man of tremendous energy, physically 
a perfect athlete, good-natured and gentlemanly. 
Speaking of his fists — you should have seen them ! 
But perhaps you have seen those of the late Tom 
Hyer — Tom's mauleys were not the smallest. 

Several friends went down to the Hook with 
Meiggs when he sailed for California in 1849, on 
board the old Havre packet-ship Albany. A party 
of Catskill men accompanied him. 

He arrived in San Francisco in July, 1849, 
where he sold his ship-load of lumber at twenty 



146 MEIGGS'S SUCCESS. 

times its cost, making a clear profit of $50,000 on 
the venture. Then, witli consummate discretion, he 
took a subordinate position in a lumber-yard, and 
studied all the phases and premises of the situa- 
tion before he risked a dollar of his own capital. 
Foreseeing the future greatness of San Francisco 
and the inevitable demand for lumber, he quietly 
matured schemes for a grand success. AVhen 
everything was read}^ he hired five hundred men, 
sent them into the forests of Contra Costa County, 
felled the choicest trees in that then densely- wooded 
reo'ion, hauled them in saw-lo2;s to the shore of the 
Bay of Ban Francisco, built them into huge rafts, 
floated them to a wharf which he had constructed, 
converted them into lumber by the agency of a 
steam saw-mill which he had erected, and made 
$500,000 in gold by the operation. 

Thencelbrth until he fell, Henry Meiggs was a 
foremost man in California in business, in munici- 
pal politics and in social life. He had three manias 
— land, lumber and music. His land and lumber 
operations were conducted on a scale of unprece- 
dented magnitude ; and he was popularly believed 
to be the richest man on the western coast of 
America. But, when the great financial pressure 
of 1854 seized California with its paralyzing griji, 
bankruptcy came upon him like an armed man. 
He rose to the contest with such enormous strength 
and such resourceful genius, that, had he sought 
only to save himself, he might have come off vic- 
torious; but, with the ill-judged generosity which 
was a pervading element of his character, he at- 



MEIGGS'S WHARF AND MUSIC HALL. 147 

tempted to save all his friends, and was by them 
drag-ired down into bottomless ruin. 

In the frenzy of that death-struggle Mr. Meiggs 
succumbed to the temjDter. He was a restless, alert 
and enterprising man, having at the same time a 
great deal of good nature, frank, open, obliging, 
doing a good turn for others, and getting a great 
many favors in return. Among the pioneers he 
was a marked man. He was elected to the Board 
of Aldermen as early as 1851, and served very 
acceptably for two or three terms. He ranked 
among the better men who at that time were con- 
nected with the municipal government. During 
the latter part of his service as alderman he be- 
came interested in street contracts, while engaged 
largely in the lumber business. He built the long 
pier known as Meiggs's Wharf, and probably did 
more than any other man to develoj^ the North 
Beach side of the town. He built Music Hall, 
on Bush Street, on a part of the site of the jDresent 
Occidental Hotel. At that time Harry Meiggs 
was one of the most influential men of the city. 
His reputation was good, and although he was a 
venturesome man, yet he could command an almost 
unbounded credit. 

Captain Jacob Cousins, who was master of the 
bark America, in which Meiggs made his exodus, 
says that on the 26th of September, 1854, he was 
in the cabin of the bark conversing with Captain 
Wiggins, who was then in command of the vessel, 
when Vickery Seaman, a warm personal friend of 
Meiggs, and connected with him in business, came 



148 MEIGGS'S FLIGHT. 

aboard aucl announced that he had bought the ves- 
sel, and asked Captain Cousins if he would take 
charge of her. The Captain asked where the vessel 
was going, to which Seaman replied, " Probably to 
Australia with passengers, and I want you to ballast 
the vessel and get ready for sea as soon as possible." 
The Captain knew that Meiggs was very much 
embarrassed financially, and suspected that he was 
to be the principal passenger, but said nothing of 
his susj^icions, simply accej^ting the command. The 
vessel was fitted up just as any ordinary lumber 
coaster, as far as cabin accommodations were con- 
cerned, with very little furniture, and no carpet on 
the floor. The only extra expense incurred for the 
comfort of the expected passengers was in furnishing 
two small state-rooms forward for ofiicers' quarters, 
and the purchase of a second-hand sofa for the cabin. 
On the 3d of October the Captain reported the vessel 
ready for sea, and about nine o'clock the same even- 
ing. Seaman came on board and told Captain Cousins 
that Henry Meiggs and his family were the passen- 
gers going in the ship. At midnight Seaman and 
the Ca2:>tain went ashore in the ship's boat alone, 
landing at Broadway wharf, where they left the 
boat and went up to Mr. Meiggs 's residence. They 
were met at the door by Mr. Meiggs, who took the 
Captain by the hand, saying, " Captain, this is hell, 
but I can't help it." In the house, besides Mrs. 
Meiggs and her three children, were Ned Seaman, 
a young man named Gilchrist, a clerk in Meiggs's 
employ, John G. Meiggs, David Thayer, a cousin 
of Meiggs, and two servant girls. The party sat 



TEYING DELAYS. 149 

and talked until three o'clock in the morning, dur- 
ing which time Meiggs spoke freely of his troubles. 
As the clock struck three, Ca23tain Cousins an- 
nounced that it was time they were going on board. 
Meiggs jumj)ed up, put on his hat, and giving it 
a knock on the top, said, " I'm ready." John 
Meiggs then produced a sack containing $10,000 in 
gold, which was emjDtied out on a table and divided 
into two equal portions, Captain Cousins taking one- 
half and Henry Meiggs the other. This is all the 
money that went on board of the vessel. The entire 
party then walked down to the wharf, where Gil- 
christ and Ned Seaman took leave, and the rest 
getting into the boat, the Captain sculled them out 
to the bark. In the morning a thick fog hung over 
the bay, and there was not a breath of air stirring. 
A tug was engaged to tow them out to sea, but the 
fog was so dense that they could not find their way 
out through the Golden Gate, and the vessel was 
anchored off* Fort Point. 

About four o'clock in the afternoon they again 
got under way, and were towed out as far as the 
North Head. After making a few tacks, the Cap- 
tain found that the tide was drifting them back into 
the bay, and he was again forced to come to anchor. 
At high water, the Captain hove up anchor and 
drifted out with the tide in a dense fog. Toward^ 
morning a light wind sprang up from the land, and 
by daylight they were half-way to the Farallones. 

There they lay becalmed for two days, but the 
fog was so thick that they felt no uneasiness about 
being followed. During all this time, Mr. Meiggs 



loO AKEIVAL IN CHILI. 

was calm and cheerful, not showing the slightest 
sign of excitement. The story about the pistol in 
readiness to commit suicide the Captain pronounced 
absurd, as the only fire-arm on board was a revolver 
belonging to himself, which was never loaded. A 
breeze finally came, and the vessel was kept away 
to the southward. After getting clear of the land, 
Mr. Meiggs, in answer to an inquiry as to where he 
wished to go, said to the Captain that he might go 
where he pleased, but that he should like to see 
some of the South Sea Islands, and then go to Aus- 
tralia or Chili. They first went to Otahiti, where 
they remained thirteen days, leaving there just 
three days before the papers from San Francisco, 
with an account of Meiggs's flight, arrived. They 
then touched at Pitcairn Island, where they lay two 
days, and from there sailed for Talcahuana, Chili. 
Meiggs landed there and took his family up to the 
city of Concepcion for a short time. 

He engaged as sub-contractor of bridges on a 
railroad then in process of construction in Chili. 
His remarkable executive ability drew attention to 
him. He was a driving man, and could get more 
work out of native laborers than any one else. The 
story of his sudden departure from San Francisco 
injured him in his early efforts. But soon after 
ex-Governor Bigler became Minister to Chili; a 
kind-hearted man, who was disposed to look on the 
better side of Meiggs's life. The fact that Bigler 
recognized him and was on friendly terms with him, 
produced a favorable impression upon the peoj^le. 
^Meiggs could not be a very bad man, if the Ameri- 



A STUPENDOUS ENTERPRISE. 151 

can Minister was disposed to overlook his irregu- 
larities. A short time afterward, he contracted 
with the Chilian government to complete the San- 
tiago and Valparaiso Kailroad in four years, for 
$12,000,000. He completed the work in about 
two years, making a clear profit of over $1,300,000. 
Then followed other gigantic railroad enterprises, 
chief among which was the railroad from Arequipa 
to Mollindo, in Peru, completed in 1871, from 
which he derived a very large profit. He celebrated 
the completion of this road by a lavish expenditure 
of money for a public dinner and for gold and silver 
medals, the outlay being not less than three-fourths 
of a million dollars. He afterward contracted for 
six railways in Peru, most of which he com2:)letcd, 
the lonjrest bein<i; that which extends from Callao 
to the summit of the Andes and beyond, and 
which was intended to tap the rich valleys near the 
head waters of the Amazon River. It was the most 
stupendous enterprise ever undertaken by one man. 
The engineering on this railroad is one of the mar- 
vels of the world. But the road did not pay, and 
for two or three years Meiggs fell into financial em- 
barrassments. He seems at all times to have had 
the confidence of the government, and it is under- 
stood that the Peruvian government indorsed all 
his railroad paper, although this did not bring 
him out of his difficulties. He was the financial 
brains of Peru. His last project was to tap some 
famous silver mines and make the transportation 
of the ores to the coast a profitable business for 
his road. Had he lived, he would probably have 



152 BllAVK, NOBLE HENRY MEIGGS. 

developed a new era of silver-mining in Peru, in 
connection with his railroad enterprises. His finan- 
cial troubles no doubt sliortened his life by many 
years. He carried a load which finally crushed 
liim. As a railroad builder, he stood in the front 
rank. Ho was a man, also, of considerable taste. 
His residence near the road, between Callao and 
]/una, was one of the grandest palaces occupied by 
any |)rivaie iu(Hvidual in South America. 

A few ymirs ago, tlu^ friends of IMeiggs in Cali- 
fornia sought to have his disabilities removed, so 
that he might return to that State. A bill to this 
cflect became a law, but he never returned. He 
jirovided for the redemption of his outstanding 
paper in that State, and to a great extent he re- 
deemed (he great error of Iiis earhj life. For that 
error nothing now need be said by way of palliation. 
It was the cloud on the life of a nuin whose after- 
career was an honorable record, and who was, in 
respect to great enter])rises, the most conspicuous 
man of modern times. 

Brave, noble, generous, chivalric Harry IMeiggs ! 
"We all recollect the blazing cathedral at Santiago, 
and how he risked liis own life to save the lives of 
others. That was JMeio-o-g all over. As to his 
failings, let him that has none cast the first stone. 
Those Avho knew him, loved him. They will drop 
a tear to his memori/.J 



cnArTi:R ix. 

Arrive at Tome — Dog-meat vs. mutton — Embark in a whale- 
boat for Talcahuana — The lied Liou aiul its hiiuHord — The 
Se~iorita.<i — A night on a dining-table — The market — (/oal 
mines — Feast on musck^,s — Funeral of a whaleman — ('hiliau 
fandango — Chilians, male and female — Females making 
their toilet — Passengers arrive from Do Chatta — Arrival of 
the Osceola in the harbor of Talcahuana — Breach of tiie 
Marine Laws of Chili — Threatened eoniiscation of the brig 
— Visit to the city of Conccpcion — California-bound vessels 
in Talcahuana — Funeral procession — Visit to the Paps. 

Tome contains about two liundrtMl adobe liuts 
with tliatclied roofs and earth floors, and a popula- 
tion of about one tliousand persons. Among its 
residents are fifteen or twenty Americans and J^^ng- 
lishmen connected with the flouring mills, and they 
are literally coining money. Dogs are as plentiful 
in Tome as negroes in lllo, and lleas are abundant 
both in and out of doors. Bow-wow meat is con- 
sidered as great a delicacy with the Chilians as is 
rat flesh among the inhabitants of the Celestial Em- 
pire. I saw a dog on the stall of a butcher dressed 
ready for market, which circumstance will prevent 
me from eating mutton dui'ing my stay in Chili. 
Whistling was strictly jorohibitcd in that market. 

At sundown we chartered' a whale-boat for $10 
to convey us across the bay to Talcahuana, distant 
21 miles, and after shivering in the night-air for 
four hours, arrived at our destination. 

(153) 



154 BEDS NOT ON BILL OF FAKE. 

On our arrival, we repaired to tlie Red Lion 
Hotel, kept by a Yankee of tlic name of Keen, 
Avliere we partook of a miserably-cooked supper for 
"wliicli we priid three rcd/)^ eaeli. After supper we 
informed the landlord that we wished to retire for 
the night, but imagine our surprise on being told 
that he had no beds. He informed ns that lodging 
ivas oiot on his hill of fare, boarders not being- 
lodged at any of the hotels in town. He very 
politely informed us that we could be accommo- 
dated with lodgings by the salorifas about town, 
they being the only persons authorized to take in 
strangers during the night. Several of the party 
followed the directions of the landlord, but myself 
and ten otliers obtained iiermission to make a field- 
bed on the dining-tables, \Yhere we slept soundly 
nntil morning, although the fleas punctured us 
severely. 

Tuesday, 3Iay 15. — After breakfast, accompanied 
by a. inirty of friends, I visited the market, a rudely- 
constructed one-story frame building, resend)ling 
very nuich a row of sheds, inclosing a hollow square. 
The area or court, about eighty feet square, at the 
time of our visit was occupied by a squad of half- 
naked natives pitching reah, a silver coin of about 
the value of one dime I'^nited States currency. 
The sheds inclosing the area were divided into 
stalls, in which were exposed for sale flesh, fish and 
fowl of various kinds, and fruit in great abundance. 
The pears and grapes were truly luscious. 

From the market we strolled leisurely along the 
beach toward the southern part of the town tor the 



BUEIAL OF A WHALEMAN. 155 

purpose of visiting the coal mines. The bituminous 
coal taken from these mines is of a good quality and 
yields a fair ])rofit to the owner, an Englishman, 
long a resident of the country. 

On the beacli to the southward of the coal mines 
we discovered the bones of a huge monster, which 
we conjectured to be a mastodon, but I have since 
learned that it was the skeleton of that leviathan 
of tlie deep — a wliale. 

Having heard the South American muscles very 
highly spoken of by epicures, I resolved upon test- 
ing their quality. I accordingly repaired to tiie 
boat of a fisherman and by gestures made known 
my wants to the owner. A fire was soon kindled 
on tlie beach, and a quantity of bivalves placed 
around it, and, as fast as roasted, I devoured them 
with a gusto that would liave caused a blush on the 
face of a New York alderman. 

In the afternoon I attended the funeral of a 
young man belonging to the whale-ship Franklin 
of New Bedford, who was poisoned by one of the 
Cyprians of Talcahuana during a fit of jealousy. 
The poison was administered in wine, and he sur- 
vived the fatal drug forty-eight hours. His remains 
were followed from the custom-house landing to the 
burial-ground by a procession of over five hundred 
Americans, a majority of wliom belong to the Cali- 
fornia passenger vessels at anchor in this port. At 
the grave a chapter was read from the Bible and 
an impressive and appropriate prayer made by tlie 
doctor of the ship Trcscoit of Boston. At the 
conclusion of the prayer the cofliii was lowered into 



156 A CHILIAN FANDANGO. 

tlie grave, and the "clods of the valley" soon hid 
from mortal ken the remains of one who, but a feiv 
months previously, had left the home of his boy- 
hood with buoyant spirits and elated Iwpes to be 
cut down in a strange land, without father, mother, 
sister or brother to soothe his last moments or listen 
to his dying prayer; but he died surrounded by 
friends, and his remains were deposited in their last 
earthly resting-place by his own countrymen, who 
dropjied many a tear on the grave of the young 
whaleman who had found a premature grave in a 
foreign land. 

In the evening, accompanied by five or six 
friends, I strolled about the town for the purpose 
of "seeing the elephant" in Chili. We visited 
several fandango establishments, well fdled with 
mixed audiences, who were 

" Tripping the light fantastic toe," 

to the music of the castanets and guitar. The 
Chilian women — those whom I have seen — are not 
very prepossessing. They are low in stature and 
inclined to corpulency, which gives them a squatty 
a2')pearance. Their hair and eyes are jet black, and 
complexion a light copper color. Their cheek- 
bones are very prominent, and the general contour 
of their faces reminds one very much of the North 
American Indians. They paint highly, and, like 
their American sisters, are passionately fond of 
dress, invariably preferring bright and gaudy colors. 
The males are somewhat taller than the females, 
but in complexion and general features resemble 



CHEAP LABOR AND CHEAP BEEF. 157 

tliem very nmcli. They arc generally an idle, 
indolent class of peo2)le, laboring only when ne- 
cessity compels them to do so. The Chilians are 
blessed with a soil as fertile as any on which the 
sun shines, and their climate is a perpetual sum- 
mer; yet, with all these natural advantages, they 
remain a poor, flea-bitten, priest-ridden people ! 
In the cities and large towns native labor commands 
only one real, twelve and a half cents, per day, and 
in the country, scarcely half that amount. Ameri- 
can and English mechanics receive from $3 to $10 
j)er day, and clerks and accountants from $1,500 to 
$2,000 per annum. 

At night, I occupied my former quarters on the 
dining-table at the lied Lion, with fleas here, there 
and everywhere, but not one could I catch. 

Wednesday, May 1(3. — Early this morning I 
visited the slaughter-house, situated on a small 
stream in the noxthern suburb of the town. Dur- 
ing the half-hour I remained there, some six or 
eight beeves were killed and dressed ready for the 
market. Beef in Talcahuana is remarkably cheap, 
selling on an average at three cents per pound. On 
my return to town I passed half a dozen dark-eyed 
senoritas seated on the ground around a S2)ring of 
water making their toilets. As I approached them, 
they arose and saluted nie in the language of the 
country, which I could not understand, but presume 
it was complimentary. I therefore raised my hat, 
made one of my best bows and j^assed on. 

On reaching the town, I stopped at a ten-pin alley 
kept by a Yankee from New Bedford, where I met 



158 THE OSCEOLA AND HER CAEGO IN PElilL. 

eiglit or ten of my fellow-passengers just arrived 
from De Chatta, where the Osceola lay wind-bound 
when they left her at three o'clock yesterday after- 
noon. They left the brig at so late an hour that 
they were benighted on the road and compelled to 
remain over night at the hacienda of a farmer, who 
treated them w^ith great kindness and hosi^itality. 
They were feasted on eggs, bread, apples, grapes and 
wine during the first part of the night, and during 
the latter part, by way of variety, were treated to a 
little llea-botomy. 

From the ten-pin alley we went down to the cus- 
tom-house landing, and looking toward the mouth 
of the harbor saw a brig beating in which proved 
to be tlie Osceola, and in about two hours she came 
to anchor off the town. After the brig had been 
boarded by the Port Captain and Custom-house 
Ofiicer, we chartered a boat and went on board. As 
soon as we reached the deck the Captain informed 
us that the brig, by running into the Bay De 
Chatta, had committed a breach of the marine 
laws of Chili and, he feared, would be confiscated. 
The Captain of the port informed Captain Fair- 
fowl, that the Osceola with her cargo w^as liable to 
confiscation, in consequence of the passengers having 
landed before the vessel had been boarded by the 
port officers. I think we shall be able to prove to 
the entire satisfaction of the Chilian government 
that we put into De Chatta by mistake, and that no 
contraband goods have been landed from the brig. 
I fear we shall be detained in port longer than may 
prove agreeable, and perhaps compelled to pay a 



AT CONCEPCION. 159 

fine; but I cannot believe tliat the brig and her 
cargo will be confiscated. If so, God help us pas- 
sengers. 

Having slept very little during the two previous 
nights, I stripped off my clothes, shook the fieas out 
of my pantaloons and turned into my berth with 
the hope of enjoying a good night's rest, and I was 
not disappointed. 

Thursday, May 17. — I went on shore at eight 
o'clock this morning and joined a party of friends 
who were about to start on foot for the city of C<3n- 
cepcion, 9 miles distant. We set out, staff' in hand, 
and after traveling three hours over a sandy road, 
arrived at the city of a thousand earthquakes very 
much fatigued and as hungry as half-famished 
wolves. On the road we met several Chilians 
armed to the teeth, but we passed unmolested, 
although those Job's comforters, the Talcahuanans, 
informed us that we would bo lassoed and robbed 
en route ! Passing through a thicket of cha'parTal, 
we saw several of the cut-throat gentry near the 
road mounted on ponies, with lassos hanging in 
coils over the horns of their saddles. As we passed 
them they cried out in broken English, " Califor- 
nia !" and spurring their animals, soon disappeared 
in the bushes. On our arrival in the city, we or- 
dered dinner at a hotel kept by a Yankee from the 
land of baked beans and 2)umpkin pies, of the 
name of Brooks. Our dinner consisted of boiled 
eggs, stewed chickens, beefsteak and potatoes, with 
a dessert of cheese, grapes and pears, which we 
quickly dispatched. After dinner I had a chat 

10 



IGO A YANKEE HOTEL-KEEPER. 

with Brooks, who informed me that he deserted 
from a whale-ship on this coast six years ago, and 
in the meantime had worked at brickmaking, shoe- 
making, carpentering, butchering, and had during 
the past four months kept a hotel, which he in- 
formed me was the luckiest move of his life. He 
said he was coining money. At j)i^i'ting I shook 
him heartily by the hand — for he had given us a 
good dinner at a reasonable price — and wished him 
continued success in the hotel business. He thanked 
me, and added, when business got dull he would 
pull up stakes and squat in California. 

After leaving the Yankee landlord, we strolled 
through the city for a short time, and toward night 
clambered to the top of a mountain near by for the 
purpose of viewing the city and surrounding coun- 
try. From our elevated position we had a magnifi- 
cent view of Concepcion, the surrounding country 
and the River Biobio, windins; at the base of 
green hills and furrowed ravines, on its way to the 
Pacific. 

The city of Concepcion is situated on the north- 
ern bank of the Biobio, about 10 miles above its 
entrance into the ocean, and is built on a plain, 
surrounded on three sides by high hills. Concep- 
cion, at this time, contains about thirteen hundred 
one-story houses and mud huts and a population of 
fifteen thousand inhabitants, one-eighth of whom 
are foreigners. In the year 1836, the entire city, 
Avith the exception of three houses, was destroyed 
by an earthquake, and all the buildings erected since 
that time, with two exceptions, the cathedral and 



I 



THE HOUSES OF CONCEPCION, IGl 

the residence of the governor, are one story high. 
Every attempt during the past hundred years to 
add an additional story to the former has proved 
abortive. Before the walls had become thoroughly 
dry, an earthquake shock would crack them so 
badly that life and limb required their removal. 
But hope on, hope ever, seems to be the prevailing 
motto with the Chilians, and I presume the process 
of shaking down and rebuilding will continue in- 
definitely. The habitations of the poorer classes 
are built of adobes, with thatched roofs and earth 
floors. The wealthier classes live in more substan- 
tial buildings, the walls being fully three feet in 
thickness, and in many instances constructed of 
kiln-burned bricks. The roofs are mostly covered 
with tiles composed of the same materials as the 
bricks, and the floors are also constructed of large ob- 
long bricks or tiles, and in many cases covered with 
Brussels and Turkish carpets of rare and exquisite 
workmanshii). The dwellings of the aristocracy 
are built in the form of a hollow square, the area or 
court in the centre answering the double purpose of 
house and stable-yard. 

This being Ascension Day, and the inhabitants 
zealous Catholics, nearly all the shops and other 
places of business were closed; consequently, the city 
presented rather a sombre and gloomy appearance. 
In the evening we fell in with a Frenchman, for ten 
years a resident of Chili, who informed us that he 
would accommodate some of our party with lodgings. 
Three of tis accepted his invitation and accom- 



162 A FULL BILL OF FAEE. 

paniecl liim home, where we found good beds and 
few fleas. 

Friday, 3Iay 18. — We arose at eight o'clock, A. 
M., very much refreshed with a good night's rest, 
and while breakfast was being prepared, our host 
showed us around his premises, which would have 
done credit to a citizen of the land of steady habits. 
He carried on baking, shoemaking, tanning and 
last, though not least, " took in strangers " and sold 
aguardiente and vmo. The diiferent branches of 
business carried on under the same roof were all 
under the supervision of our host, who informed us 
that he was making very mooch monish, and judging 
from appearances he told the truth. 

Breakfast was delayed until half-past ten o'clock, 
but what was lost in time was fully made up in 
variety, as the following bill of fare w^ill attest: 
First course, chicken soup ; second ditto, beefsteak 
and onions ; third ditto, fried fish ; fourth ditto, 
boiled fish, dressed with butter ; fifth ditto, baked 
leg of mutton and celery ; sixth ditto, cheese, fruit 
and wine. Each of us being blessed with a good 
appetite, the different courses disaj)peared rapidly, 
which, to use the little Frenchman's own words, 
pleased him very mooch. There were others present 
equally well pleased. 

After breakfast we visited the store of a Phila- 
delphian, of the name of Johns, who had just left 
for Talcahuana, therefore we did not have the plea- 
sure of making his acquaintance. His clerk, how- 
ever, introduced us to Mrs. Johns, a Chilian lady, 
rather above the medium size and very fleshy. 



A HORSEBACK RIDS. 163 

Her countenance was quite pleasing and lier eyes 
and hair as dark as the wing of a raven. She re- 
gretted very much her husband's absence, and in 
broken English urged us very strongly to remain 
until his return, as he would be very much pleased 
to meet with Philadelphians. We were compelled 
to decline her kind invitation, but before leaving 
took the liberty of using for a few moments a Fair- 
bank's scales standing in the store. I kicked the 
beam at one hundred and forty-five jDOunds, having 
added fifteen j)Ounds to my avoirdupois since leav- 
ing Philadelphia. After sauntering about the city 
until three o'clock, P. M., we bade Concepcion adieu 
and started for Talcahuana, where we arrived at six 
o'clock. 

We were overtaken on the road by two Chilians 
on horseback, who requested two of our party to 
ride behind them to Talcahuana. Mr. Butcher and 
I availed ourselves of their kind offer, and mount- 
ing were soon galloping over the road in advance 
of our companions. The horse on which my 
friend Butcher was astride, unfortunately for that 
gentleman, had a very prominent backbone, which 
caused the rider to sit as lightly thereon as pos- 
sible. After riding about a mile, friend B. com- 
menced screwing and turning like an eel under- 
going the skinning process. He reminded me 
very much of a lad I once saw with a nettle in 
the seat of his trouserloons. At length his seat 
became so unpleasant that he resolved to leave it at 
the risk pf his neck. All endeavors to induce the 
Chilian to stop his horse were unavailing ; therefore 



1G4 POSTAGE TO PHILADELPHIA. 

he watclied for a soft S2:)ot in the road and slid off 
stern foremost over the tail of the horse. Xot 
wishing to leave my friend alone on the road, I dis- 
mounted and, giving the Chilian a o'cal, walked back 
to assist B. in adjusting his a23parel, a certain por~ 
Hon of which was sadly demoralized. 

Friend Butcher and I being too much fatigued 
to go on board the brig, engaged a bunk in a 
fandango house, into which we both bundled and 
slept soundly until morning. 

Saturday, May 19. — During the voyage I have 
grown so fleshy that it is with extreme difficulty I 
can wear my clothes. This morning I carried my 
coat to a tailor for the purpose of having the sleeves 
enlarged, and I hope hereafter to be able to wear 
it with more comfort. Afterward I went to the 
office of the agent of the English mail steamers, in 
order to ascertain the postage on a letter to the 
United States, via Panama, and was somewhat sur- 
prised to learn that it was f 1. I went on board 
the brig, wrote a letter to my wife, returned to the 
office of the agent and mailed it for Philadel2')hia, 
where it will probably arrive in about fifty days. 

During the past two weeks the following passen- 
ger vessels bound for California have put into this 
port for water and provisions : 

From New York, ships Albany and Panama, 
and brig Gcorgiana. From Boston, ships Trcscott 
and Lconorc, bark Oxford, and brig Mary Wilder. 
Brig Charlotte, New^buryport, Mass.; ship Tlopcivell, 
Warren, B. I. ; bark Diamond, New Bedford, Mass., 
and brig John Petty, Norfolk, Ya. 



FUNERAL PROCESSION. 105 

On board of these vessels are nearly one thousand 
Americans bound for the gold-diggings of Cali- 
fornia. The Chilians have fitted out three vessels 
at this port for San Francisco; two of which have 
sailed and the third is on the eve of departure. 
Several foreigners, resident at this place, have en- 
gaged passage on board the American vessels lying 
in this port bound for the new El Dorado. 

Saturday, May 20. — I went ashore at eight 
o'clock this morning and visited the market for the 
purpose of treating myself to grapes and apples, and 
while there a pretty seilorita presented me with a 
bouquet of flowers. Soon after leaving the market 
I met a party of friends on their way to the Maiden's 
Paps, two very high hills overlooking the town, and 
at their request I accompanied them. 

On our way we passed a procession of children 
bearing, on a rudely-constructed bier, a fancifully- 
ornamented coffin containing the remains of an 
infant which they were about to consign to mother- 
earth. The little mourners ajDpeared very sorrow- 
ful, and to me the scene was deeply affecting and 
impressive. My thoughts wandered back to a little 
golden-haired darling I had left behind me, and as 
I turned away unbidden tears dimmed my eyes. 

After a fatiguing walk of an hour, we reached 
the summit of the higher pap, from which we had 
a magnificent view of the town and Bay of Talca- 
huana, the city of Concejjcion, the Biobio winding 
like a silver thread among the hills and ravines, 
the little village of Tome nestling at the foot of the 
mountains on the eastern shore of the bay, and the 



IGG VIEW OF TALCAHUANA FROM THE PAPS. 

Avntcrs of the raeific rolling and breaking over the 
reefs and dashino; airainst the roek-bound shore. 
From our elevated position, every street and nearly 
every building iu Talcahuaua could be distinctly 
seen. 



CHAPTER X. 

Description of Talcahuana — Theft of a water-cask — Punish- 
ment of the culprit — Our indebtedness to Captain Fincli — ■ 
The American consul — Departure from Talcahuana — Scene 
in the harbor — Gambling on board — Salt-water dumplings — 
Becalmed — Increase in the price of mining implements — 
General washday — Magnificent scene — Passengers on an 
exploring expedition — Set-to between the Captain and cook 
— First knockdown for the cook — Sugar served out pro 
rata. 

The town of Talcahuana contains about three 
hundred adobe houses and mud luits and, perhaps, 
three tliousand inhabitants. The present town has 
been built within the last thirteen years, the old town 
having been thrown down in 1836 by the earth- 
quake that destroyed ConcejDcion. The dwellings 
in Talcahuana, like those of Concepcion, are only 
one story high, and the walls are constructed of 
adobes or reeds plastered with mud. The adobe 
walls are of immense thickness, and the roofs arc 
mostly thatched with a species of long sea-grass. 
In a majority of the houses and stores there are no 
plank or board floors. In the dwellings of the 
aristocracy the floors are of tile, but the poorer classes 
are always on the " ground floor." The streets are 
irregularly laid out, and tlic buildings erected with- 
out any regard to beauty or uniformity. The streets 
are unpaved, consequently they are very dusty 

(1G7) 



168 TARGET PllACTICE. 

during the dry season, and in rainy weatlier are 
extremely muddy and filthy. 

This afternoon the town seems to be overrun with 
los Americanos. There are at least five hundred 
California passengers on shore, and to use a nautical 
phrase, they are putting the town "in stays." 
Being foot-sore and weary, at five o'clock, P. M., I 
hired a boat and went on board the Osceola. 

Ifondai/y May 21. — After breakfast I went ashore 
and purchased a hamper of apples, a Chilian cheese, 
two dozen loaves of bread and twenty pounds of 
flour — private stores for the balance of the voyage. 
After carrying my provisions on board the brig, I 
returned with my rifle for target practice. Having 
obtained permission from the Captain of the port 
to use fire-arms on shore, I repaired to a ravine 
in the suburbs of the town and practiced until 
noon. I fired some twenty shots, at the distance 
of eighty yards, and, strange to say, the target was 
not injured in the least. On my return to the 
brig, I learned from one of our sailors at the 
ship's watering-place that one of the water-casks 
belonging to the Osceola had been stolen by a 
native and found secreted in his hut. The cir- 
cumstance was reported to the Captain of the j)ort, 
and in about an hour afterward the culprit was 
arrested and compelled to march before a guard of 
soldiers to the watering-place, with a rogue's cap on 
his head and a ladder on his shoulders. On ar- 
riving at the jAace where the theft was committed, 
he was lashed to the ladder and while in that posi- 
tion received on his bare back twenty-five lashes 



THE MARINE LAWS AND THE OSCEOLA. 169 

with the end of a lasso, well laid on by a drummer. 
He received the first dozen lashes without a mur- 
mur, but as each remaining lash fell upon the 
quivering flesh, he howled like a savage. On being 
released, he went among the crowd with his hat and 
took up a collection amounting to upwards of $3. 
He received the money w^itli great delight, and I 
have no doubt he would have willingly submitted 
to another flogging for a like sum. At sundown 
I went on board the brig. 

Tuesday, May 22. — After breakfast I went on 
shore with my fowling-jDiece for the purpose of 
shooting ducks. I walked along the beach for sev- 
eral miles without seeing any game worth bagging. 
I then struck off to the right, crossed over a hill 
and entered a ravine where I found robins and 
other small birds in abundance. I soon killed a 
dozen robins and returned to town. From a fellow- 
passenger I learned that it was currently reported 
about town, that the Chilian government intended 
to seize the Osceola for an infringement of their 
marine laws in landing passengers at De Chatta be- 
fore being boarded by the port officers. The Cap- 
tain and passengers are very much excited about 
the matter. This morning a hearing was had be- 
fore the Captain of the port, witnesses examined, 
etc., but no decision was reached, and the case will 
most likely be sent to a higher tribunal at Concep- 
cion. Mr. Wainwright, our supercargo, was dis- 
patched to headquarters this morning, for the pur- 
pose of setting matters in their true light before the 
officials. He returned at sundown without bringing 



170 RESOLVE TO TAKE " FKENCII LEAVE." 

a decision, tlie ju(l2;es having gotten matters so 
badly mixed that they arc unable to decide defi- 
nitely. They will dream over the matter to-night 
and wrestle with it again to-morrow. 

The American consnl at this port — Crosby, from 
Ohio — although appointed by a Democratic Presi- 
dent, is a dyed-in-the-wool "J\j)iow NotJiing:'' Had 
he performed liis duty promptly in this matter, 
nothino; serious would have o-rown out of it. Either 
through ignorance, fear or connivance with the 
Chilian government, he has rendered us no assist- 
ance. 

I went on board the brig at four o'clock, P. M., 
and had broiled robins for supper. 

Wcihicsdaii, JIai/ 23. — I have resolved not to go 
ashore again while we lay in this port, unless com- 
pelled by the Chilian government to do so. Have 
been engaged during the forenoon mending my 
clothing. In the afternoon I repaired a gun-lock, 
cleaned and oiled my fire-arms and laid them aside 
ready for use on my arrival in California. 

No decision in the Osceola case having been re- 
ceived by our Captain, Captain Finch, a merchant 
of this place, has volunteered his services to go up 
to Concepcion and urge a speedy settlement of the 
matter. , He will return to-morrow morning, and 
should the decision be adverse, we have resolved to 
slip our cable and put to sea. The guns at the fort 
have been double-manned to-day, and should we 
attempt to take French leave we shall probably 
receive a few shots, but we are fully determined to 
make the attempt and abide the consequences. 



THE CAPTAIN IMBIBES TOO MUCH WINE. 171 

Both of our mates have been discharged, and 
the Captain is again without officers. We have 
had four mates since we left Philadelphia, and 
God only knows how many more we shall have 
before we reacli California. Two sailors came on 
board the Osceola to-day and volunteered to work 
their j)assage to San Francisco, and the offer has 
been accepted by Captain Fairfowl. Our provisions 
and water are now all on board, and if we had our 
clearance papers we should sail without mates. 

Thursday, 3Iay 24. — Last night the wind blew 
very fresh from the north, and every indication of a 
norther was visible. In the early part of the even- 
ing the sailors went ashore, and the brig was left 
entirely to the care of the passengers. Chain was 
paid out several times during the night for the pur- 
pose of preventing the brig from dragging her 
anchor. 

Yesterday afternoon Captain Fairfowl went 
ashore, and during his peregrinations about town 
took too much " wine for his stomach's sake." In 
his endeavors to get on board the brig, the boat 
swamped and he lost his hat and got thoroughly 
drenched with salt water. About eight o'clock, 
P. M., one of our passengers came across the old 
skipper pacing the beach in front of the custom- 
house, bareheaded. He was taken to a hotel and 
persuaded to remain there during the night. In 
the morning, dry clothes were sent on shore to him, 
and after making his toilet he came on board the 
brig looking rather crest-fallen. He says the wine 
he drank was drugged. 



172 GOOD NEWS FEOM CONCEPCION. 

Captain Finch returned from Concepcion to-day 
with the news that we will be permitted to depart 
from Talcahuana in peace, ^^rovided we pay the 
expenses incurred in the case, amounting in the 
aggregate to fifty dollars. Our Captain will ac- 
quiesce in this decision, and we shall probably 
sail to-morrow. 

The Captain shipped a first mate to-day, which 
means business. One of our passengers came on 
board this afternoon as tight as bricks and as noisy 
as a demon. 

Friday, May 25. — Last night the wind com- 
menced blowing from the north, and toward morn- 
ing rain began to fall, and it has been blowing 
and raining throughout the day, causing a heavy 
swell in the harbor and a tremendous surf on the 
beach. Our new mate and the sailors took " French 
liberty" last night — not one remaining on board — 
and the Cajotain was compelled to call on the pas- 
sengers to keep anchor-watch. 

CajDtain Finch went up to Concepcion again to- 
day and made a final settlement of our case. We 
are 2>i"oraised our clearance papers this evening or 
to-morrow morning, and shall sail as soon as the 
wind will permit. 

All hands are anxious to be on the wing again. 
Had the weather permitted, the Americans belong- 
ing to the California j^J^ssenger vessels would have 
marched in procession through Talcahuana to-day. 
During the afternoon our passengers have been 
coming on board laden with fruit, nuts and bread, 
p»reparatory to sailing. The old skipper has been 



LEAVE TALCAHUANA. I/O 

sampling drugged wine again. He came on board 
this evening as merry as a lark. 

Saturday, May 2G. — The rain is still pouring 
down, and a stiff breeze has been blowing into the 
harbor all day, which has prevented us from 
getting under way and putting to sea. Our new 
mate has already become dissatisfied with the 
Captain, and is just going over the side of the brig 
with his bag and baggage. Another first mate 
was shipped this evening, but I fear we shall lose 
him unless we sail soon. The Captain has been 
"working up" the sailors to-day, by causing them 
to scrub paint-work in the rain. We are now 
ready for sea, and are waiting for a fair wind to 
take our departure. 

Sunday, May 27. — The rain poured down in 
torrents all last night, and early this morning we 
Avere completely enveloped by a dense fog. At 
sunrise the fog disappeared, and the day has been 
delightfully pleasant. 

After breakfast the anchor was hove short, and 
at ten o'clock, A. M., we received our clearance 
papers from the Port Captain, got under way, and 
at meridian passed the Island of Quiriquina, at 
the entrance to the harbor, and were soon at sea, 
gliding merrily along over the swelling billows of 
the Pacific. 

At the mouth of the harbor we spoke the Cali- 
fornia passenger ship Christoval Colon, of New 
York, bound in for a supply of provisions and 
water. The American brig Mary Wilder, bound 
for California, got under way about an hour before 



174 AFTER-CABIN AND STEERAGE. 

lis, l)iil WO ]);isstHl lior in tlio liurbor, and at this 
time, 8ix o'clock, 1\ ]\[., she is fully 10 miles 
astern of us. As ■vve passed tlie Christoval Colon, 
cheers were exchanged, and our band, consisting of 
a bugle, cornet and trombone, struck up the "b^tar- 
Bpangled Ininueiv" which was cheered at intervals 
by the passengers of the Colon and Murij ]]lldcr, 
until their voices were ch'owued by tlie chishing of 
the waves against the i)row of the Osceola. 

As soon as wo were outside the harbor, studding- 
sails were set below and aloft, and the coast of Chili 
rapidly disa2")peared in the distance. 

Monday, May 28. — J)uring last niglit and to- 
day tlie Osceola lias been gliding along before a 
deliirhlful breeze with all studdiiiir-sails set. This 
morning at daylight the Jlfary Wilder was about 
10 miles astei-ii of us, and at sundown she was 
nearly hull down. The weather lias been very 
pleasant, and I hope it will continue so during the 
remainder of the passage. 

This morning angry words passed between the 
after-cabin and steerage passengers in relation to 
their rights on shipboard. One of the former 
intimated that the steerage passengers had no right 
to promenade the quarter-deck. This brought the 
steerage boys out in full force, and a, long contro- 
versy ensued, in wliicli both i>arties took an active 
part. The matter was finally referred to the Cap- 
tain, who decided that the steerage passengers had 
the same right to the use of the quarter-deck as 
their aristocratic neighbors of the cabin. The 
opinion among the steerage 2)asseiigers to-day is, 



JUAN FERNANDEZ. 175 

that Captain Falrfowl's head is j)ei'fGCtly lcvc;l. 
Distance sailed, 147 miles. Lat. 34° 55'. Therm, 
at M. 58°. 

Tucsdcuj, May 29. — Throughout last night the 
wind continued fair, but this morning it hauled 
ahead, and the Captain wore the brig and stood to 
the westward. At eleven o'clock, A. M., the wind 
hauled around fair again, and since that time we 
have been running before a light breeze with the 
sea as smooth and placid as a mill-pond. At me- 
ridian we were off the Island of Juan Fernandez, 
once the abode of " poor old Robinson Crusoe." 

This morning the Cajitain reprimanded the steer- 
age cook for using too mucli salt pork in a lob- 
scouse he was preparing for breakfast. From this 
time forward, tlie steerage passengers will insist on 
having their allowance of meat weighed out daily. 
This afternoon the weekly allowance of tea, sugar, 
butter, cheese, molasses and vinegar was served out 
by the mate for the use of the steerage passengers. 
Distance sailed, 91 miles. Lat. 33° 31'. Therm, 
at M. 04°. 

Wednesday, May 30. — J)uring last night and to- 
day the wind has been ahead, consequently we have 
made very little })rogress. We hope soon to fall in 
with the south-east " trades," which will waft us 
to the equator in a short time. The weather 
is daily becoming milder, which has brought the 
passengers on deck attired in their summer costumes. 
Flannel shirts and other woolen clothing have been 
stowed snugly away for future use. 

Yesterday the after-cabin gamblers, not having 
11 



17G FAKO-BANK BURSTED. 

the fear of Captain Fairfowl's mandate before their 
eyes, commenced operations again. The game dur- 
ing tlic day was "/t'c??o," not before played on board. 
The game being new, the green ones bet heavily 
with the never-failing result — the more they put 
down the less they took up I Distance sailed, 94 
miles. Lat. 32° 01'. Therm, at M. Go°. 

lliursda}/, May 31. — Have been becalmed all 
day with the sails flapping lazily against the masts. 
AVe were not looking lor a dead calm in this lati- 
tude; but during our pilgrimage in this world of 
■\voe, we must take things as they come and thank 
God tliey are no worse. 

K!^teerage mess No. 1 furnished the cook with 
aj-tples for dumj^lings which were served at dinner, 
but they were very unsavory in consequence of 
of having been boiled in salt water. 

The blacklegs have been busily at work again 
to-day. Toward night they came to grief One 
of the boys won $300, wdiicli bursted the bank! 
At sundown this evening, a passenger reported from 
the maintop-sail yard a sail on our lee-boAV, distant 
about 20 miles. Distance sailed, 41 miles. Lat. 31° 
13'. Therm, at M. GS°. 

Friday, June 1. — The calm still continues, and 
during last night and to-day the brig has not made 
10 miles on her course. The weather has been 
pleasant and the sea smooth. I have been pe- 
rusing a file of Boston papers brought on board 
by our first mate. They contain several letters 
w^ritten by the passengers of the steamer Crescent 
City on her first trip to Chagres. The letters were 



DELIGHTFUL WEATHER. 177 

written at Cruces, Gorgona and Panama, and tlic 
writers all state that the climate is unhealthy, 
provisions scarce and sickness very prevalent — 
three cases of Asiatic cholera having occurred at 
Cruces. They regret having taken the Isthmus 
route, and recommend their friends who are about 
to start for California to go by the way of Cape 
Horn. My opinion is, that those who go by the 
way of Cape Horn will wish they had taken the 
Isthmus route! Distance sailed, 24 miles. Lat. 
37° 07'. Therm, at M. 64°. 

Saturday, June 2. — We are still in the " horse 
latitudes," and the wind has been blowing a " Pad- 
dy's hurricane" during the past twenty-four hours. 
This is the first month of winter in this latitude, 
and the. weather is as mild and balmy as midsum- 
mer in the United States. As we approach our 
port of destination, fire-arms and mining implements 
increase rapidly in value. Twenty-five dollars has 
been offered and refused for revolvers that cost $10 
in Philadelphia. A gold-washer that cost $6 was 
sold to-day for ^15, and I refused an offer of %?> 
for a hand-pick that cost me only fifty cents. I am 
waiting for an advance in the market before I 
unload. At meridian the sun was obscured by 
clouds, therefore no observation was taken. I 
imagine, however, that we are in the neighborhood 
of 30° south latitude. Distance sailed, by log, 23 
miles. Therm, at M. 64°. 

Sunday, June 3. — Head-wind and very little of 
that. Our expectations of reaching the erpiator in 
fifteen days from Talcahuana have already van- 



178 MAKING HASTE SLOWLY. 

ished like a dream. One week has elapsed since 
we left that port and we have made scarcely one- 
third of the distance. When the Osceola sailed 
from Philadelphia, we expected to reach San Fran- 
cisco in five months at the farthest. That time has 
nearly expired, and we are still nearly 6,000 miles 
from the land of ]3romise. It is now a fixed fact 
that our voyage will not be completed in less time 
than six months, with the chances in favor of its 
being prolonged beyond that time. Verily, the way 
of the California-bound passenger is hard. Distance 
sailed, 30 miles. Lat. 29° 46'. Therm, at M. Qb^. 

Monday, June 4. — Early last evening the wind 
died away, and during the remainder of the night 
and this forenoon we have been becalmed. At one 
o'clock this afternoon a fresh breeze sprang up from 
the south, which wafted us along at the rate of seven 
knots an hour until sundown, when we were again 
becalmed. The brig is rolling lazily; the sails are 
flapping against the masts and rigging, and the 
yards and booms are creaking and moaning fear- 
fully. Distance sailed, 70 miles. Lat. 28° AV. 
Therm, at M. 70°. 

Tuesday, June 5. — The wind has been very light 
during the past twenty-four hours, barely suflicient 
to keep steerage-way on the brig. This forenoon 
I tried my hand at washing soiled unmentionables, 
socks and towels, and succeeded beyond my most 
sanguine expectations. I was less fortunate in the 
dr^nng process, there being no clothes-line on which 
to hang my "wash." 

A convoy of Cape pigeons has followed the brig 



A GRAND SCENE. 170 

from Staten Land, but the hot weather of the past 
few days is rapidly decreasing their number and 
driving them back to the icy region of Cape Horn. 

This afternoon the cabin passengers have amused 
themselves by playing monte and faro, and the steer- 
age j^assengers have killed time by firing their rifles 
and pistols at porter and wine bottles suspended from 
the yards. Distance sailed, 55 miles. Lat. 27° 51'. 
Therm, at M. 70°. 

Wednesday, June 6. — The weather to-day has 
been delightful, but the calm contirmes, and we are 
not happy. This morning I witnessed one of the 
grandest scenes of my life, and one that I shall 
jirobably never again behold. I beheld at the same 
moment the god of day lift his golden head above 
the waves of the ocean to resume his diurnal course, 
and the goddess of night, after having performed 
her wonted task, sink into the embrace of the great 
deep. It was a scene of great sublimity, and every 
soul on board gazed upon it Avitli feelings of reverence 
mingled with admiration. During the forenoon the 
stern-boat was lowered and manned by the passen- 
gers for the purpose of towing the brig. A line was 
made fast to the bowsprit and attached to the stern 
of the boat, and the boatmen plied their oars merrily 
for a couple of hours, but the brig moved so slowly 
that they became disheartened, and, casting off the 
line, gave three hearty cheers, and started on a 
private pleasure excursion. In about two hours they 
returned and the boat was soon filled with another 
party, who started on an ex^^loring expedition to 
the windward. In about an hour they returned 



180 PASSENGERS HAVE A JOLLIFICATION. 

and informed us that during their voyage of dis- 
covery they had fallen in with the carcass of a sperm- 
whale, surrounded by myriads of boobies, gulls and 
Cape 2^igeons. The odors inhaled from his whale- 
shi}^ as he floated past us were not as pleasant and 
odoriferous as those wafted from " Ceylon's Isle." 
The carcass was escorted by a body-guard of sharks, 
and a retinue of sea-birds screamino- like devils in- 
carnate. Distance sailed, 49 miles. Lat. 27° 13'. 
Therm, at M. G9°. 

Thursday, June 7. — Last night, at eight o'clock, 
a light but fair breeze sprang up from the south, 
which we have carried all day with studding-sails 
set below and aloft. 

Last evening the passengers mustered on the 
quarter-deck for the purpose of having a dance. 
The " El Dorado Band " j^hayed a variety of lively 
airs, which were accompanied by the "light fan- 
tastic toes" of a majority of the passengers. At 
nine o'clock, P. M., Captain Fairfowl spread a col- 
lation in the after-cabin, to which all hands were 
invited. Distance sailed, 82 miles. Lat. 26° 03'. 
Therm, at M. 64°. 

Friday, June 8. — During last night and to-day 
we have been favored with a fair wind, and the 
brig at this time, six o'clock, P. M., is making five 
knots an hour. 

The weather has been cloudy all day, with 
strong indications of rain. Last night the steerage 
cook was ordered by the Captain to keep watch, 
which so exasperated him that he did not turn out 
this morning at the usual hour to commence his 



SET-TO BETWEEN CAPTAIN AND COOK. 181 

culinary duties. The old skipper called liim aft 
and asked liim why he had not kindled a fire in 
the galley, as usual. He informed the Captain 
that he would not perform the duties of both cook 
and sailor — he shipped as cook, and would perform 
that duty only. He w^as ordered by the Captain to 
go forward and commence operations in the galley 
at once, but being rather dilatory in his movements, 
the old skipper seized a rope and commenced plying 
it briskly over his back and shoulders, at the same 
time ordering him to go forward, which command 
he obeyed very reluctantly. In a few moments he 
was again called aft by the Captain, who ordered 
the mate to seize him up in the main rigging for 
punishment. The cook informed the Captain that 
he was not on hoard a man-of-war, and would not 
submit to a flogging. The old skipper did not wait 
ujwn the order of going, but went for the knight of 
pots and kettles immediately, and for a few mo- 
ments there was a lively time on board the Osceola, 
with the following result : Captain knocked down 
and the cook placed in irons. At eleven o'clock, 
A. M., the Cajotain relented — hunger will tame a 
crow — released the cook and ordered him to re- 
sume his duty, and in future to behave himself like 
a man. The cook nodded assent, and will not 
knock the old skipper down again until he makes 
another attempt to flog him ! Distance sailed 94 
miles. Lat. 24° 01'. Therm, at M. 68°. 

Saturday, June 9. — Throughout last night and 
to-day the brig has been skimming over the water 



182 EQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF SUGAR. 

at the rate of ciglit knots an hour, with square 
yards and all studding-sails set. 

Our prospects of reaching California by the 20th 
of next month are now very promising. If we are 
not becalmed on the "line," we shall make an 
average run between Talcahuana and San Fran- 
cisco. The weather to-day has been damp, with 
an occasional sprinkling of rain. A¥e are now in 
the tropics, having crossed Capricorn this forenoon. 
This afternoon all the sugar on board the brig was 
taken aft and served out in equal portions to each 
individual on board. Each person received five 
and a half pounds — six weeks' allowance, accord- 
ing to the United States Naval ration. Since ^ye 
left Talcahuana the cabin passengers have been 
using the sugar rather extravagantly, which caused 
the Captain to divide it^^ro rata to-day. Distance 
sailed, 90 miles. Lat. 23° IG'. Therm, at M. 65°. 



CHAPTER XI. 

Sunday at sea — Light and l)afning winds — Man-of-war birds 
sliot — Fresh pork — Canchalagua pills — Passengers on their 
muscle — Crossing the equator — Old Neptune initiates one 
of the sailors — Bcd-liugs and fleas — Our old skipper under 
the weather — Fourth of July at sea — Jolly time and no 
whisky — Ship ahoy ! — Visit from the passengers of the ship 
Pacific — We treat them to salt pork and hard-tack — Later 
news from the land of gold — Captain Fairfowl has the 
dumps. 

Sunday, June 10. — During the last twenty-four 
hours we have been gliding along over a smooth 
sea, at the rate of nine knots an hour. A Scotch 
mist has been falling at intervals throughout the 
night and to-day. 

The day has passed away very quietly — some- 
thing unusual for Sunday. The sailors rigged 
themselves out in their Sunday toggery, and most 
of the passengers turned over a new leaf by putting 
on a " biled " shirt. At dinner, the steerage pas- 
sengers were treated by the cabin steward to mince- 
pies for dessert, and I will do the old darkey the 
justice to say they did him great credit. No ob- 
servation. Distance sailed, by log, 1G8 miles. 
Therm, at M. G8°. 

Monday, June 11. — A ten-knot breeze during 
the j)ast twenty-four hours has rendered all hands 

(183) 



184 THE "trades" disappoint us. 

liappy. The "trades" were Hglit at first, but they 
have gradually increased to a ten-knot breeze, and 
should they continue ten days, we shall be north of 
the equator. The weather has been warm and hazy, 
reminding me of Indian Summer in Pennsylvania. 
This afternoon all the cheese on board the brig was 
served out in equal portions to the passengers, each 
receiving about two weeks' allowance. Distance 
sailed, 101 miles. Lat. 19° 59'. Therm, at M. GS°. 

Tuesday, June 12. — Last night we made an un- 
usually good run, but to-day the wind has been 
light and baffling. Strong indications of another 
calm are visible. This forenoon the members of the 
" Perseverance Mining Company" commenced work 
on a sail for their batteaux, which will save them 
many a tug at the oar. 

At one o'clock this afternoon, one of the jDassen- 
gers in the maintop reported a sail on our weather- 
bow, distant about 15 miles. The stranger is head- 
ing the same direction we are, and is most likely a 
California passenger vessel. Distance sailed, 150 
miles. Lat. 19° 05'. Therm, at M. 70°. 

Wednesday, June 13. — All last night the wind 
was light and baffling, and before daylight the brig 
completely " boxed the compass." At eight o'clock, 
A. M., a light breeze sj^rang up from the south-west, 
which we have carried the balance of the day, but 
have made very little progress. For some unex- 
plained cause, the south-east "trades" have left us 
in the lurch, which is a great disappointment. 
AVe expected they would waft us to the equator. 
Two vessels heading north have been in sight all 



FAVORABLE WINDS. 185 

day. Distance sailed, 40 miles. Lat. 18° 44'. 
Therm, at M. 70°. 

Thursday, Juiie 14. — Last night the wind con- 
tinued light and baffling, and early this morning it 
died away to a dead calm. At nine o'clock, A. M., 
a rain-squall suddenly sprang up from the south- 
west, and we have carried a five-knot breeze during 
the remainder of the day. The weather has been 
hazy and showery. One of the sailors who had the 
wheel during the morning watch, thinking that the 
time passed away ratlier slowly, removed the watch 
from the Ijinnacle and undertook to move the hands 
ahead, but being more accustomed to handling a 
marlin-e-sj^tike than a timepiece, he broke both 
hands. The watch was a gold lever belonging to 
one of the passengers, who read jack-tar a lecture 
in very forcible language. Distance sailed, 70 
miles. Lat. 17° 38'. Therm, at M. 69°. 

Friday, June 15. — Fair wind and plenty of it 
during last night and to-day. The brig has been 
flying over the water before a ten-knot breeze. 
The yards are square and every drawing sail set — 
a sight that a sailor's eye delights to dwell upon, 
and one that is not unj)leasing to a landsman after. 
having been five months at sea. Tlie weather has 
been mild and pleasant. Distance sailed, 170 miles. 
Lat. 10° 03'. Therm, at M. 70°. 

Saturday, June IG. — The continued fair wind 
has sent the Osceola jumping through the water 
at the rate of ten knots an hour. If we are fortu- 
nate enough to escape a calm on the equator, and 
are blessed with this wind for thirty consecutive 



ISG PROFESSION'S AT A DISCOUNT. 

clays we sliall be at anchor in the harbor of San 
Francisco. 

The passengers are now organizing companies in 
order to be ready for action immediately upon their 
arrival in California. There are several professional 
gentlemen on board who, when they left Philadel- 
phia, informed their friends that they were going 
to California to practice their professions ; bnt they, 
too, have recently joined mining companies, believ- 
ing that they can jiut more money in their purses 
by handling the spade and pick, than by perusing 
musty law books or serving out potions of jalap, 
calomel and quinine. Several "man-of-war" birds 
were shot this afternoon by one of the cabin pas- 
sengers. Distance sailed, 191 miles. Lat. 14° 52'. 
Therm, at M. 74°. 

Sunday, June 17. — We are still blessed with a 
fair wind and delightful weather, and are gliding 
rajiidly along toward the land of promise. 

This morning the Captain expressed his intention 
of crossing the equator between 112° and 115° west 
longitude. Should we cross the line as far west as 
115° we shall not be to the northward of it before 
this day week. This has been one of the most quiet 
Sabbaths passed on board the Osceola since she left 
Philadelphia. During the first four months of the 
voyage a growl on Sunday between the Captain and 
passengers or crew was looked for regularly, and I 
regret to state that we were seldom disappointed. 
Captain Fairfowl is one of those old sea-dogs who 
cannot survive without an occasional growl. Dis- 



SEWIN'G AND WASHING. 187 

taiice sailed, 172 miles. Lat. 13° oG'. Tlierm. at 
M. 74°. 

Ilonday, June 18. — We have carried an eight- 
knot breeze throughout last night and to-day, and 
the weather has been delightfully pleasant. All 
hands, including the cook, are in good humor. 
Now that we are on the last quarter of our voyage, 
the passengers are busily engaged overhauling their 
tents and mining utensils. One of our mining 
comjoanies has been employed during the jiast two 
days making a tent of material purchased at I\io de 
Janeiro. Not being accustomed to the use of the 
palm and needle, they have made but very little 
progress. Distance sailed, 1G4 miles. Lat. 12° 01'. 
Therm, at M. 76°. 

Tuesday, June 19. — A favorable wind during the 
past twenty-four hours has wafted us along at the 
rate of nine knots an hour. The weather is gradu- 
ally becoming warmer — this being the hottest day 
experienced since we doubled Cape Horn. We 
shall in all probability soon have occasion to use 
the awnings and wind-sails, as the Aveather must 
necessarily be hot at this season of the year north 
of the equator. 

This afternoon the Captain opened his heart and 
ordered a hog killed, a portion of which will be 
made into a sea-pie to-morrow for the steerage pas- 
sengers. Distance sailed, 161 miles. Lat. 10° 21'. 
Therm, at M. 77°. 

Wednesday, June 20. — The wind continues fair, 
but is gradually growing lighter as we approach the 
equatorr This has been general washday with the 



188 SLEEPING ON DECK. 

passengers. Lines stretclied across the deck are 
loaded with wet clothes, as also are the stays, rig- 
ging and spanker-boom. Salt-water soap is just 
now in great demand among the ivashermen — some 
exchanging shaving soap of a superior quality for 
the same bulk or weight of salt-water soaj^. One 
of the passengers, not being overstocked with dis- 
cretion, offered to sell his traveling-bag for two bars 
of salt-water soap, but he did not find a purchaser. 

I have been engaged to-day making a knapsack, 
which will no doubt be of great service to me in 
the gold diggings. Distance sailed, 160 miles. 
Lat. 8° 52'. Therm, at M. 79°. 

Thursday, June 21. — During last night and to- 
day the " trades " have wafted us along at the rate 
of eight knots an hour. We have carried the trade- 
winds for the last fifteen days, and hoj^e to hold 
them until we pass the equator. The sky has been 
cloudless and the weather hot, but not 02:)j)ressive. 

Last night several of the passengers "took uj) 
their beds and walked " on deck, where they slept 
until morning, undisturbed by bugs or fleas. This 
morning I treated myself to a dose of Captain Fair- 
fowl's famous Canchalagua pills, but what effect 
they will have remains to be seen. The CajDtain 
believes them to be a sovereign balm for all the ills 
that flesh is heir to. Distance sailed, 172 miles. 
Lat. 7° 28'. Therm, at M. 80°. 

Friday, June 22. — The wind throughout last 
niglit and to-day has been very light, and I fear 
that we shall be becalmed before we reach the 
equator. The weather has been hot and sultry. 



I 



HOT WEATHER AND HOT TEMPER. 189 

with strong indications of rain. This forenoon I 
did my week's washing, and this afternoon have 
been engaged mending my okl clothes. At the 
commencement of the voyage I handled the needle 
very awkwardly, but practice and perseverance 
have enabled me to nse it quite satisfactorily. Dis- 
tance sailed, 152 miles. Lat. 5° 52'. Therm, at 
M. 81°. 

Saturday, June 23. — For the last twenty-four 
hours the wind has been fair but light, yet, with 
the aid of all drawing sails, we have made a very 
fair run. The weather has been cloudy all day. 
This evening a shower of rain fell, which has 
cooled the atmosphere considerably, and rendered 
the early part of the night unusually pleasant. 
Distance sailed, 140 miles. Lat. 4° 38'. Therm, 
at M. 86°. Hot as blazes ! 

Sunday, June 24. — Throughout last night and 
to-day we have been skimming over the water 
before a seven-knot breeze, with studding-sails set 
below and aloft. The atmosphere has been rather 
cooler, which has rendered the day very pleasant. 
We have passed several schools of flying-fish, but 
none have been cauglit. 

Now that the weather is growing warmer, the 
passengers are becoming as rabid as mad dogs. At 
breakfast, this morning, three altercations occurred 
— two in the after-cabin and one in the steerage. 
The steerage row commenced first, and passed off 
without any blows being struck. The first quarrel 
in the cabin resulted similarly ; but in the second 
melee a rough-and-tumble fight ensued, in which 



190 ACROSS THE EQUATOR. 

a little bud blood Avas spilled. Distance sailed, 135 
miles. Lat. 3° 02'. Therm, at M. 81°. 

Monday, June 25. — The "trades" still continue, 
and all last night and to-day we have been plough- 
ing through the water at the rate of seven knots an 
hour. The sky lias been cloudless and the weather 
pleasant. We are now near the equator, and hope 
to cross it before daylight to-morrow morning. We 
are half-way between Talcahuana and San Fran- 
cisco, with the prospect of reaching the latter place 
within twenty-five days. 

I have been on board the Osceola so long that 
every plank in her deck looks like an old acquaint- 
ance ; yet, as familiar as they appear, I am ex- 
tremely anxious to bid them farewell forever. 
Distance sailed, 150 miles. Lat. 0° 59'. Therm, 
at M. 82°. 

Tuesday, June 2G. — We carried a seven-knot 
breeze throughout last night and to-day, which 
has placed us IGO miles nearer our port of desti- 
nation. The weather during the day has been 
delightful. AVe crossed the equator at one o'clock 
this morning, in longitude 115° 40' west. 

When we crossed the dominious-of Nej^tune, the 
old salt visited us, and initiated one of the crew. 
The 2>assengers refused to submit to the operation. 
The soap used by Neptune on this occasion was 
highly perfumed with a compound of " villainous 
smells," and his razor was as dull as a lecture on 
woman's rights. Distance sailed, 152 miles. Lat. 
1° OG' north. Therm, at M. 82°. 

Wednesday, June 27. — All last night and to-day 



UNWELCOME PASSENGEES. 191 

the wind has been light and baffling, but the weather 
continues pleasant. We expected to meet with 
frequent showers on the equator, but thus far have 
been happily disaj^pointed. During the day the 
passengers have been lounging about the deck in the 
shade of the sails endeavoring to keep cool. A few 
days since one of the steerage j^assengers resolved 
to dispense with the use of tobacco henceforth and 
forever, and this morning he disposed of his stock 
of pipes and tobacco at a raffle. Distance sailed, 
139 miles. Lat. 3° 12'. Therm, at M. 83°. 

Thursday, June 28. — Last night the wind hauled 
around to the southward and westward, and since 
that time we have been skimming along at the 
rate of seven knots an hour. The heat was very 
op2)ressive, but to-day we have been fanned by a 
delightful breeze, which has in a slight degree 
counteracted the effects of the heat. Since we left 
Talcahuana every berth in the brig has been over- 
run with bed-bugs and fleas, and the past two weeks 
our sufferings have been intolerable. To-day several 
of the passengers have been figuring out the date of 
our arrival in San Francisco. According to their 
ciphering we shall arrive there on the fifteenth of 
next month — if figures don't lie. Distance sailed, 
162 miles. Lat. 5° 26'. Therm, at M. 82°. 

Friday, June 29. — The wind has been blowing 
steadily from the south-west all day, and we have 
encountered several squalls accompanied by rain, 
thunder and lightning. The wind has blown so 
fresh this afternoon that the Captain has taken in 
the studding-sails, furled the mainroyal and reefed 

12 



192 ROUGH WEATHER AND HEAD-WINDS. 

the foretop-gallant-sail. This is the first squally 
weather we have encountered the past two weeks, 
and it has somewhat surprised us, as we did 
not count on meeting rough weather during the 
balance of the passage, but we know not what the 
morrow may bring forth, particularly in these lati- 
tudes. This afternoon in working the brig one of 
the sailors through mistake let go the wrong hal- 
yard, which caused the old skipper to go for him 
with a rope's end, and afterward to put him in irons. 
We are now in the latitude of Panama. Distance 
sailed, 179 miles. Lat. 8° 18'. Therm, at M. 79°. 

Saturday, June 30. — Last night the wind hauled 
around to the northward, and to-day it has been 
light and baffling. Squalls, accompanied by rain, 
have been frequent during the day. 

I fear the next settled wind will prevent us from 
heading our course. If so, we must be content, 
for it is an ill wind that blows no one good. To- 
day considerable rain-water has been caught by the 
passengers, wliicli will prove quite a god-send, for 
to-morrow is washday. Captain Fairfowl has been 
quite unwell all day, and has remained in his berth 
most of the time. There is a rumor floating about 
the brig that he has been sampling drugged wine 
again. We are off Guatemala. The sun being ob- 
scured, no observation was taken. Distance sailed, 
by log, 130 miles. Therm, at M. 78°. 

Sunday, July 1. — Our good luck is failing us. 
During last night and to-day the wind has been 
unfavorable, which has headed us off our course 
five or six points. The weather has been clear, and 



TUHKEYS FOE, THE FOURTH. 193 

the wind bracing and invigorating. The morning 
and forenoon passed off quietly, but this afternoon 
the Captain cursed the cabin passengers for insinu- 
ating that he had sampled the brandy in the doctor's 
medicine-chest. Liquor is getting scarce and the 
Captain is convalescing rapidly. In consequence 
of the indisposition of the old skipper no observa- 
tion was taken, but I j)resume that we are in the 
neio-hborhood of 13° north latitude. Distance 
sailed, as per log, 137 miles. Therm, at M. 81°. 

Monday, July 2. — Last night the wind was light 
and baf&irig, and to-day Ave have been becalmed. 
The weather has been hot and oppressive. The 
next wind that crosses our track will probably be 
the north-east "trades," the prevailing wind in 
these latitudes, and the sooner we meet with them 
the better; for, of all things on earth or ocean, a 
calm in the tropics is the most annoying. 

The old skipper is on his pins again, and to-day 
resumed his accustomed duty. One of his first acts 
w^as to release the sailor confined in irons on the 
29th ult. Distance sailed, 97 miles. Lat. 13° 18'. 
Therm, at M. 82°. 

Tuesday, July 3. — During last night and to-day 
the ocean has been as smooth as a mirror, and the 
weather hot and sultry. 

Captain Fairfowl opened his heart this afternoon 
and presented to the steerage messes three turkeys, 
which will be served up for dinner to-morrow — the 
glorious Fourth ! Distance sailed, 1(3 miles. No 
observation. Therm, at M. 83°. 

Wednesday, July 4. — Fourth of July and a dead 



194 FOURTH OF JULY AT SEA. 

calm in llie tropics, witli tlie thermometer at 83° in 
the shade ! This day being tlie seventy-third anni- 
versary of American independence, all hands con- 
cluded to celebrate the event in a becoming manner. 
Accordingly, at daylight, the ensign, union-jack 
and pennant were spread to the breeze, a salute of 
small arms fired, and at ten o'clock, A. M., a meet- 
ing was organized, Dr. George Guier, Jr., presiding, 
supported by six vice-presidents, myself being one 
of the number. A secretary was ajipointed, and a 
committee selected to prepare the regular toasts for 
the occasion. After the reading of the Declaration 
of Independence, by Col. James A. Banks, another 
salute was fired, and the meeting adjourned until 
three o'clock, P. M. 

Having partaken of the best dinner the Osceola 
could spread, we met at the appointed hour to 
conclude the festivities of the day. Thirteen 
I'cgular toasts ap^^ropriate to the occasion were read 
by the president, which were loudly cheered by the 
assemblage. The intervals between the toasts were 
enlivened by appropriate music by the El Dorado 
band and several jDatriotic songs by the " O Susan- 
nah Serenaders." The regular sentiments were 
succeeded by some fifty volunteer toasts, many of 
which were rich, rare and racy, and called down 
thunders of applause. 

Tlie regular and volunteer toasts having been 
read. Colonel Banks, in compliance with a request 
from the president, delivered an eloquent address, 
creditable alike to his head and heart. The colonel 
was followed by two other passengers, one of whom 



FLEEING FKOM FLEAS. 195 

recited an Ode to the American Flag, and the other 
attempted to make a speech hut, poor fellow, he got 
stuck ! and in order to relieve him from his awkward 
predicament, a friend moved an adjournment sine 
die, which was unanimously carried. 

At sundown, when the colors were hauled down, 
another salute was fired and three hearty cheers 
given, which aroused the fishes and caused old Nep- 
tune to send back the echo ; and thus ended the 4th 
of July, 1849, at sea! Everything passed off 
quietly and soberly. There was no liquor on board ! 
Distance sailed, 20 miles. Lat. 13° 41'. Therm, 
at M. 83°. 

T/tu7'sda'f/, July 5. — The calm continued last 
night, but this forenoon a light breeze sprang up 
from the north-west, and although dead ahead, was 
hailed with joy by all hands on board, as a breeze 
from any quarter is preferable to a calm. Last 
night I was so terribly annoyed by that lively and 
ubiquitous little "animile," the flea, that I was 
compelled to vacate my bunk and go on deck. The 
rays of a tropical sun have been concentrated all 
day on my mattress and blankets, and I have also 
given the latter a salt-water douche. I hope that 
the sun and salt-water combined have given the 
fleas their eternal quietus. 

This forenoon, a ship, supposed to be a homeward- 
bound whaler, was reported on our lee-bow, distant 
about 15 miles. This is the first vessel reported 
during four weeks. For reasons best known to 
the Captain no observation was taken to-day. 
Distance sailed, per log, 9 miles. Therm, at M. 81°. 



196 THE SHIP PACIFIC. 

Friday, July 6. — During last niglit and to-day 
tlierc lias not been sufficient wind to fill the sails, 
consequently tliey liave been flapping listlessly 
against the masts and rigging. The sky has been 
unclouded and the weather oppressive. 

Early this morning we discovered on our lee- 
quarter a full-rigged ship, distant about 15 miles. 
About two o'clock, P. M., a small sail, in the direc- 
tion of the stranger, was seen approaching us, and 
when distant about 4 miles, our stern-boat was 
lowered and manned by passengers, who pulled 
merrily away toward the boat, which could now be 
distinctly made out without the aid of a glass. In 
about forty minutes our boat returned, accompanied 
by the metallic life-boat Crusoe, belonging to and 
manned by seven of the passengers of the California 
passenger ship Pacific, which sailed from New York 
on the 23d of January last. We left the Pacific 
in Kio de Janeiro, whence she sailed on the 3d of 
April, touching at Callao for water and provisions, 
sailing thence on the 8th of June. 

At the latter place intelligence from California 
down to the 1st of May had been received, which 
confirmed all previous reports in regard to the 
richness of the gold mines in that country. 

Our guests joartook of a collation of salt pork 
and hard-tack, lubricated with a little brandy from 
the doctor's medicine-chest, and at five o'clock, 
P. M., bade us adieu, and entering their boat, 
were soon gliding over the water toward their 
vessel, which was now distant about 10 miles. 
When our friends shoved off three hearty cheers 



II 



THE GOLD FEVER EEVIVED. 197 

were given by us, which were returned with a wilh 
At sundown our visitors were within a mile of tlieir 
ship, which tliey probably reached before dark. 
They are a jolly, whole-souled set of fellows, and 
deserve success. Distance sailed, 12 miles. Lat. 
14° 06'. Therm, at M. 82°. 

Saturday, July 7. — Some time during last night 
a breeze sprang up from the north, which we have 
carried throughout the day. We have been look- 
ing for the north-east "trades" during the past 
eight days, but have not yet found them. *' Hope 
deferred maketh the heart sick." Either a head- 
wind or a dead-calm has been the order of the day 
the past week, and how long this will continue 
remains to be seen. 

The news received from California by the visitors 
from the PaclJiG has renewed the gold fever, 
and all hands on board are more or less affected 
by it. One of the sailors went aloft this morning 
and scanned the horizon with a glass, but not a 
solitary sail could be seen. Distance sailed, 47 
miles. Lat. 13° bb'. Therm, at M. 80°. 

Sunday, July 8. — Last night the wind com- 
menced hauling to the westward, and during the 
day we have been heading the course laid down 
by the Captain, and running before a strong south- 
west wind at the rate of six knots an hour. A 
strong head-sea has been running during the day, 
which has somewhat impeded our progress. 

We are now about 1,300 miles distant from the 
Golden Gate, with a fair wind that would waft us 
there in eight days, if the brig were allowed to 



198 THE captain's obstinacy. 

head tlio proper course; but our Captain is afHieted 
with the dumps, and is as obstinate as a mule. He 
will steer any course in preference to the correct 
one, which will probably prolong our voyage 
another month. He informed one of the passen- 
gers to-day that we would not reach San Francisco 
before the 10th of August. A cold, drizzling rain 
has been falling all day. Distance sailed, 100 
miles. Lat. 15° 20', Therm, at M. 78°. 



CHAPTER XII. 

Our last porker slaughtered — Cold weather in the tropics — 
Off Lower California — The Captain predicts a fair wind — 
Will wine vinegar inebriate ? — I'rovisions and water scarce — 
Head-winds — First mate ordered below — ]]ncountcr a 
squall — The cook and cabin steward have a free fight — Fog 
and Scotch mist — Drift-wood — Brig ahoy ! — Visit from the 
mate of the brig Spencer — Land ho ! — Farallonc Islands — 
Come to anchor outside the Golden Gate. 

llonday, July 9. — Tlie wind continued fair last 
night, and throughout to-dny we liave l)CC'n steering 
north-west by west with all studding-sails set. The 
wind is gradually hauling around to the eastward, 
and I should not be surprised if we were to fall in 
with the north-east "trades" within forty-eight 
hours. The weather has been clear and pleasant, 
and the passengers have spent most of the day on 
deck. We are to-day olf the coast of Mexico. 
Distance sailed, 110 miles. Lat. 17° 04'. Therm, 
at M. 81°. 

Tuesday, July 10. — Last night the wind hauled 
around to the south-east, and during the day it has 
changed to the north-east, from which quarter it is 
still blowing quite fresh. We have been heading 
north-west by west all day, and running at the rate 
of eight knots an hour. 

The weather up to three o'clock, P. M., has been 
warm and pleasant, but from that time to the present 

(199) 



200 OVERCOATS IN JULY IN THE TROPICS. 

writing, eight o'clock, P. M., the mercury in the 
thermometer has fallen from 81° to 72°, and the 
atmosphere is damp and chilly. 

The last two nights a heavy dew has fallen, 
which has thoroughly wet the deck and rigging. 
Our last 23orker was slaughtered to-day ; therefore, 
we may expect a good dinner to-morrow. 

Our last pig is slaughtered 

For to-morrow's sea-stew, 
And we'll go for that porker 

Like Yankees, true blue ! 

Distance sailed, 139 miles. Lat. 19° 03'. Therm, 
at M. 72°. 

Wednesday, July 11. — Throughout last night and 
to-day we have been wafted along by the north-east 
"trades" at the rate of eight knots an hour; but 
the brig is still heading north-west by west, although 
we are two degrees to the westward of our port of 
destination! The weather is damp and chilly, re- 
minding one more of fall in the United States than 
midsummer in the troi^ics. The thermometer this 
evening is down to 70°, and overcoats are in de- 
mand among the ]3assengers. The past two days 
the members of the " Perseverance Mining Com- 
pany" have been employed painting their boats, in 
order to be in readiness for a start up the Sacra- 
mento immediately upon their arrival in San Fran- 
cisco. Distance sailed, 172 miles. Lat. 20° 50'. 
Therm, at M. 78°. 

Thursday, July 12. — "We are still being driven 
to the north-west by the "trades" at the rate of 



CROSSING THE TROPIC OF CANCER. 201 

seven knots an hour. The Captain regrets not 
having steered a northerly course at the commence- 
ment of this week, when he had the opportunity. 
Sliould the jDresent wind continue until we reach 
the latitude of San Francisco, by steering our 
present course we shall be some 1,200 miles to 
the westward of that port. Although directly 
under the sun, the atmosphere is quite chilly. We 
are this evening off Cape St. Lucas, the southern- 
most i^oint of Lower California. Yesterday we 
exchanged colors with a Chilian ship bound to 
the southward. Distance sailed, 148 miles. Lat. 
22° 20'. Therm, at M. 70°. 

Friday, July 13. — A head-wind to-day has pre- 
vented us from steering within six points of our 
course. There is a variation of the compass of 
about one point in our favor, but this is nearly, if 
not quite, overbalanced by the lee-way occasioned 
by a strong head-sea that has been running the past 
five days. The weather is so cold that the passen- 
gers have dressed themselves cap-a-pie in their 
Cape Horn clothes, in order to keep comfortable 
when on deck. 

The month of October in Philadelphia is more 
mild and pleasant than have been the past five 
days in the tropics. This forenoon we crossed the 
Tropic of Cancer, and if we are permitted to steer 
our course during the next six days, we shall at the 
expiration of that time be at anchor in the Bay of 
San Francisco. Distance sailed, 134 miles. Lat. 
23° 5&. Therm, at M. 68°. 

Saturday, July 14. — The wind is still north-east. 



202 A QUIET SABBATH. 

but is gnuliially golting liglilcM", and I lio])C will 
soon (lie away or haul nrouud (o the W08tvvurd. 
Tlio (^aptaiii prodicts a fair \viud Avidiiii the next 
Ibrty-eight hours, but little faith can be placed in 
his opinion, in consequence of his having so often 
proven hiins(>lf a. i'alse prophet. 

The lu>ad-winds which have j^revailed during the 
past AY(H>k have given all hands the bines, and they 
move si lent ly about the deck Avith (>longated visages, 
reminding one very nuich of a disconsolate widow 
or a young married man with a strong-minded 
mother-in-law. Distance sailed, 118 miles, l^at. 
25° 25'. Therm, at U. 08°. 

/Sinidai/, Juhj 15. — Last night the wind veered a 
little to the northward, and to-day we have been 
heading nearly a due west course. The Avind has 
been very light, and all on board are inclined to 
the belief that it will haul around to the W(>stward 
very soon or die away entirely. The sun has been 
obscured by clouds nearly all day, and the weather 
has been chilly and unpleasant. 

This Sabbath has ]>assed ofl' very quietly, neither 
a liirht nor a jirowl haviuix occurred — an unusual 
ciri'umstance. One of the passengers of the Irish 
jHMsuasion, lunvever, not having the fear of Father 
Mathew before his eyes, managed this evening to 
get glorltnisly drunk on wine vinegar, but he is very 
docile. This morning at sunrise the mercury in the 
thermometer was down to (SQt°. Distance sailed, 
12C) miles. Lai. 2G° 33'. Therm, at U. 08°. 

Jloinhii/, Juhj 10. — AVe are still wrestling with 
an adverse wind, and the weather is damp and 



PEOSPECT OF SHOKT RATIONS. 203 

chilly. We are now in longitude 180° west, and 
the Captain says he will put the brig on another 
tack to-morrow and run direct for the Golden Gate. 

A box of clothing belonging to one of the jias- 
sengers, stowed in the hold since we left E,io, was 
oj^ened to-day and its contents found to be very 
much injured by mould and mildew. Distance 
sailed, 88 miles. Lat. 27° 12'. Therm, at M. 69°. 

Tuesday, July 17. — Last night the wind hauled 
around to the northward and eastward, and since 
that time we have been heading north-west, but in 
consequence of being so close on the wind we have 
made very little progress. The wind is dead ahead, 
and so good-bye. Ban Francisco, until it changes. 
The sun has been obscured by clouds nearly all day, 
and tlie weather continues chilly and disagreeable. 
Provisions are getting scarce — some articles being 
entirely exhausted. The hold was broken out to- 
day for jiork, but not a single barrel could be found. 
The sugar and cheese are also among the things 
that were but are not, and the water is nearly all 
gone. The truth of the matter is, we are in one of 
those predicaments sometimes narrated but not often 
experienced. Distance sailed, 87 miles. Lat. 27° 
48'. Therm, at M. G8°. 

Wednesday, July 18. — Last night the wind hauled 
back to the northward, and this forenoon it veered 
still farther around and resumed its old position in 
the north-east. This afternoon we have been head- 
ing north-west, but owing to a head-sea have made 
very little progress. If the wind continues in the 
north-east during the next eight days, we shall be 



204 MAKING THE BEIG SHIP-SHAPE. 

compelled to run as far westward as 140° before we 
tack the brig and run for our jDort of destination. 

The weather this forenoon was quite winterish. 
At meridian the clouds that have shrouded the sky 
the past week broke away, and the sun shone 
brightly for about two hours. The latter part of 
the day has been squally, with occasional showers. 
The crew has been employed to-day painting the 
brig. Distance sailed, 84 miles. Lat. 28° 53'. 
Therm, at M. 68°. 

Thursday, July 19. — During last night and to- 
day the wind has been blowing steadily from the 
north-east, and we have been sailing as close- 
hauled as possible. The weather has been cloudy, 
damp and chilly, and all hands have the dumps. 
How long we shall be knocked about by adverse 
winds, is one of those things that no "feller" can 
find out. At meridian San Francisco bore north- 
east by north, distant 800 miles. The crew has 
been reeving new signal-halyards, repairing the side- 
ladders, and doing other odd jobs, in order to get the 
brig "ship-shape" before reaching port. Distance 
sailed, 112 miles. Lat. 30° 15'. Therm, at M. Q^°. 

Friday, July 20. — The north-east trades still 
continue, which prevents us from heading higher 
than north-west by north. We did not expect to 
carry the trades farther north than latitude 28°, 
but in this, as well as in many other things, we 
have been sadly disajDpointed. I have now come 
to the conclusion that we are booked for a passage 
of two hundred days! 

This morning Captain Fairfowl ordered his first 



FAVORABLE WIND FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES. 205 

officer below. Tliis is the fifth officer the ohl skip- 
]Der has j)ut off duty since we sailed from Phila- 
delphia. Should he ever be fortunate enough to 
obtain command of another vessel, I would advise 
him to shi]^ at least a gross of mates. He would 
find use for all of them before the expiration of a 
voyage of ninety days. Distance sailed, 100 miles. 
Lat. 31° 38'. Therm, at M. 68°. 

Saturday, July 21. — Last night the wind hauled 
a point to the eastward, and to-day we have been 
steering N. N. W. We shall probably be in the 
latitude of San Francisco on Wednesday next. 
The Captain will then tack the brig and stand to 
the eastward, wind permitting. 

Last night the moon dispersed the clouds, and 
to-day the atmosphere has been clear and the 
weather cool. Three laro;e sea-birds have followed 
the brig for the ^^ast three weeks, and during that 
time at least fifty shots have been fired at them by 
the passengers without effect. They appear to bear 
charmed lives. At all events, they are shot and 
bullet-proof. Distance sailed, 108 miles. Lat. 33° 
11'. Therm, at M. 67°. 

Sunday, July 22. — All last night and up to six. 
o'clock, P. M., to-day, the wind has bloAvn steadily 
from the north-east, and the brig has been heading 
a north-by- west course. At seven o'clock this 
evening the wind hauled around to the south-east, 
which has enabled us to lay our course for the 
space of fifteen minutes, when it hauled back to its 
old quarter in the north-east, where it still remains. 

The sun has been obscured by clouds nearly all 



206 HOPING rOE A FAIR WIND. 

day, whicli lias rendered the atmosphere chilly. 
We are now in the same latitude as San Luis 
Obispo, Upper California, and at meridian to- 
morrow we shall probably be off Monterey. 

Early this morning the Captain reported a vessel 
on our weather-bow, distant about 15 miles, and in 
two hours afterw^ard it could not be seen. It w^as 
probably a California-bound steamer. Distance 
sailed, 122 miles. Lat. 35° 01'. Therm, at M. 67°. 

Monday, July 23. — Last night the wind was light 
and baffling, and to-day the face of the great deep 
has been unruffled by a breeze. We have lost the 
north-east trades, and I hoj^e the next wind we fall 
in wdtli w^ill be a fair one, for things are getting 
rather monotonous. The weather has been warmer 
than on any previous day the j)ast two wrecks. I 
availed myself of the sunshine, and washed and 
dried sundry shirts and towels. Several turtles 
have been seen floating on the surface of the w^ater 
at no great distance from the brig. As we shall 
not run much farther to the northward, I will, 
during the remainder of the voyage, record longi- 
tude, as Avell as the latitude. Distance sailed, 72 
miles. Lat. 36° 11'; long. 139° 02' west. Therm, 
at M. 73°. 

Tuesday, July 24. — Throughout last night and to- 
day the w^ind has been light and baffling, and a part 
of the time we have been becalmed. The entire day 
has been a succession of variable breezes and calms. 
This morning at eight o'clock the brig was put about 
three times in about the time it requires to record 
the fact, and on the last tack she headed her course 



HOPES PARTIALLY EEALIZED. 207 

twenty minutes. We find that we have only twenty- 
five clays' water on board, which causes things to 
look rather squally. We are now on an allowance 
of two quarts of water j)er day, which allows us 
only one pint each for drinking, and if we do not 
soon get a fair wind this quantity will be reduced 
one-half Distance sailed, 18 miles. Lat. 36° 29'; 
long. 139° 08'. Therm, at M. 68°. 

Wednesday, July 25. — The calm of yesterday con- 
tinued throughout last night. Early this morning 
the wind commenced hauling to the southward, and 
at this time, eight o'clock, A. M., it is blowing from 
the south-west. Although the wind has been light, 
by the aid of studding-sails we have managed to 
make about three knots an hour. Captain Fairfowl 
is of the opinion that the present wind will waft us 
into port. God grant that it may, for our water and 
provisions are getting very scarce, and much suffer- 
ing will occur should the voyage be prolonged an- 
other month. Distance sailed, 42 miles. Lat. 37° 
12'; long. 139° 10'. Therm, at M. 70°. 

Thursday, July 26. — The wind increased grad- 
ually last night, and up to four o'clock this after- 
noon we have been heading our course at the 
rate of six knots an hour with studding-sails set 
below and aloft. This afternoon at five o'clock we 
encountered a squall accom2:)anied by rain, during 
which the wind hauled around to the north, and is 
blowing an eight-knot breeze from that quarter. 

This forenoon the cabin cook and steward had a 
rough-and-tumble fight about their relative positions, 
in which both parties were severely pummeled. 

13 



208 THREE PINTS OF WATER PER DAY. 

The cook gave the steward a whack on his cabasa 
with the potato-masher, and the latter returned 
the compliment with his fists so effectually that in a 
few moments the cook's figure-head was sadly dis- 
figured — it is doubtful whether his mother would 
recognize him. Distance sailed, 70 miles. Lat. 37° 
52'; long. 137° 57'. Therm, at M. 74°. 

Friday, July 27. — All last night we headed our 
course and ran at the rate of six knots an hour. 
At ten o'clock this forenoon the wind hauled around 
to the north-east which headed us off, and the Cap- 
tain -^ni the brig about and ran to the north-west 
until three o'clock, P. M., when the wind hauled a 
little more to the northward, and the brig w^as again 
jDut about, but on this tack she could not lay within 
two points of her course, in consequence of the \'ari- 
ations of the compass and the lee-way, which were 
both against her. The weather during the day has 
been damp and chilly, the mercury in the ther- 
mometer having fallen ten degrees within the j)ast 
twenty-four hours. 

Yesterday all hands w^ere very much elated with 
the prospect of reaching San Francisco in the course 
of four or five days, but the sudden change in wind 
and weather to-day has saddened their hearts, and 
they look as crest-fallen as disappointed politicians. 
We are on an allowance of three ^^ints of water each. 
Distance sailed, 142 miles. Lat. 37° 30'; long. 135° 
30'. Therm, at M. G4°. 

Saturday, July 28. — At midnight last night the 
brig was put about, and she ran north-west by west 
until ten o'clock this forenoon, when she was put on 



THIRTEEN CASKS OF WATER FOUND. 209 

the otlier tack, and since tliat time lias been heading 
east bj north, within one point of our course. The 
wind is hauHng slowly to the westward, and I am 
inclined to the belief that we will be heading our 
course before to-morrow morning. A fair wind 
would carry us into our port of destination in three 
days, but the wind in these latitudes is so fickle that 
very little reliance can be placed upon it. This 
afternoon a general search was made in the hold for 
water, and, to our great joy, we find that there are 
thirteen casks on board, being thirty days' allowance 
at the rate of two quarts for each person. Distance 
sailed, 87 miles. The sun was obscured at meridian, 
consequently no observation was taken. Therm, 
at M. 65°. 

Sunday, July 29. — Early last night the wind 
hauled to the north-west, and since that time we 
have been running our course at the rate of six 
knots an hour. A heavy head-sea has been run- 
ning all day, which has somewhat retarded our pro- 
gress. 

The cold weather and rough sea causes reminis- 
cences of Cape Horn to flit through the mind. 
Owing to the favorable wind the Caj^tain has added 
a pint of water to our daily allowance. Cloudy 
weather ; no observation. Distance sailed, per log, 
86 miles. Therm, at M. 62°. 

Ifonday, July 30. — During last night and to-day 
we have been heading our course and jogging slowly 
along at the rate of four knots an hour. 

Were it not for the strong head-sea constantly 
butting against the bow of the brig, our speed 



210 TOKENS OF LAND. 

would be increased at least two knots an lionr. We 
are also close-hauled on the wind, which somewhat 
retards our 2)rogress. 

Our hearts were gladdened this forenoon by the 
appearance of the sun for the first time in two days. 
Toward the close of the afternoon the weather be- 
came thick and foggy, and at this time, eight 
o'clock, P. M., a Scotch mist is falling which will 
probably turn into rain before morning. At 
meridian to-day, San Francisco bore due east, dis- 
tant 383 miles. Distance sailed, <S7 miles. Lat. 
37° 49'; long. 130° 01'. Therm, at M. 62°. 

Tuesday, July 31. — Throughout last night and 
to-day the brig has been heading her course under 
a seven-knot breeze. The wind has gradually in- 
creased since noon, and at this time, seven o'clock, 
P. M., it is blowing a gale. If the atmosphere 
should be clear to-morrow we hope to sight land. 

The weather during the day has been foggy 
and chilly — the thermometer at five o'clock this 
morning being bS^. The ]xist two days, large 
quantities of drift-wood, sea-weed and kelp have 
floated past us — strong indications that land is not 
far distant. A great change in the color of the water 
has also been ajiparent within the past thirty hours; 
and this evening wild geese and a species of duck 
that does not venture far from land, flew past us. 
Distance sailed, 100 miles. Lat. 38° 30'; long. 
127° 38'. Therm, at M. 59°. 

Wednesday, August 1. — The wiiul blew so fresh 
all night that the brig was hove to, and remained 
in that position until daylight this morning, when 



LAND IN SIGHT. 211 

she was put before tlie wind and made good licad- 
way until ten o'clock, A. M., when the wind died 
entirely away. This afternoon the wind has heen 
light and baffling, and a heavy ground-swell has 
kept the brig rolling about like a saw-log in a mill- 
pond. 

During the day we have been enveloped hy a 
dense fog which has prevented us from seeing half 
a mile in any direction. The anchors were got 
over the bow ready to be let go should occasion 
require. Land-birds have been hovering about 
the brig all day. Distance sailed, 30 miles. Lat. 
38° 28'; long. 125° 08'. Therm, at M. 58°. 

Thursday, Aug. 2. — Light and baffling winds, 
a dense fog and damp and chilly weather all day. 
At sundown the fog partially lifted, which enabled 
us to get a glimpse of the " land of promise," 
directly ahead and distant about 10 miles. Later 
in the evening, the fog disap2:)eared, and we could 
define the bold outlines of the coast for many miles. 
The Captain says we are some 15 miles to the north- 
ward of the harbor of San Francisco, therefore we 
shall lay off and on during tlie night and run into 
port to-morrow, wind })erraitting. Soon after 
making the land we discovered a vessel close in 
shore evidently bearing down toward us. When 
distant about 3 miles, she lowered a boat, and in 
three-quarters of an hour thereafter, we were 
boarded by her first mate, accomj)anied by a cabin 
passenger. The stranger proved to be the English 
brig Spencer, from Sydney, New South Wales, 
bound for San Francisco, with thirteen passengers 



212 PASSENGERS TOWING THE BKIG. 

and a cargo consisting principally of provisions, 
spirits and clothing. The mate of the Spencer 
boarded us for the purpose of ascertaining his 
whereabouts, which Captain Fairfowl defined to his 
entire satisfaction. The Spencer had been becalmed 
and befogged since Monday last on this " blarsted " 
coast. Our Captain presented the mate, at parting, 
with a copy of the New York Herald containing a 
map of the harbor of San Francisco, which I hope 
Avill prove more reliable than did one of the " Gold 
Diggings" published in the same journal. Ko 
observation to-day. Distance sailed, per log, 60 
miles. Therm, at M. 60°. 

Friday, Aug. 3. — During last night the wind was 
very light, and to-day we have been in the midst of 
light breezes and calms. 

The Captain took an observation at noon and 
found that we were 22 miles to the northward 
of the port of San Francisco. This afternoon we 
have been running slowly down the coast. Several 
of the passengers are so anxious to get on shore that 
they have been ahead in one of the boats nearly all 
the afternoon towing the brig. 

AVlien we tacked the brig this forenoon and 
stood down the coast, the brig Spencer followed us, 
but before two o'clock, P. M., we lost sight of her. 
The land was visible until eleven o'clock, A. M., 
when the fog hid it from our view. The fog the 
past week has been so dense that the sun has been 
obscured most of the time. During the day 
whales, porpoises, puffing-pigs, sea-lions, seals 
and sharks have been seen in all directions. 



LAST DAY AT SEA. 213 

Distance sailed, 50 miles. Lat. 38° 10'. Therm, 
at M. 60°. 

Saturday, Aug. 4. — The wind died away last 
night about ten o'clock, and up to four o'clock, 
P. M., we have not made ten miles. This forenoon 
the water has been as smooth as a mirror, but the 
fog is so dense that we cannot see twice the length 
of the brig. 

At half-past four o'clock, P. M., the fog lifted a 
little, and we discovered a sail directly ahead, about 
4 miles distant. Soon after a boat left the stranger 
and was shortly alongside of us. The vessel proved 
to be the schooner John L. Day, from New York, 
which 23ort she left on the 4th of March last. She 
is bound for San Francisco, and has twenty-two 
passengers on board. 

At five o'clock, P. M., we made the Farallone 
Islands, bearing south by east, distant some 3 miles. 
The Farallones are a mass of barren rocks, project- 
ing several hundred feet above the surface of the 
water, and are inhabited only by sea-fowl, sea- 
lions and seals. They bear west by south from San 
Francisco, and are about 25 miles distant from that 
port. At half-past five o'clock a four-knot breeze 
sprang uj), and at this writing, eight o'clock, P. M., 
we are within 12 miles of the Golden Gate. We 
shall anchor to-night off the mouth of the harbor 
and run in to-morrow morning, wand permitting. 
Distance sailed, 31 miles. Lat. 37° 58'; long. 123° 
42'. Therm, at M. 64°. 



CHAPTER XIIT. 

Pass through the Goldeu Gate aud come to auchor iu the 
harbor of Sau Fraucisco — Visit the town — The Bauk-Street 
dry-goods dealer — Recapitulation of the voyage — Scene 
at the post-office — Happy Valley — Leave the Osceola — In- 
telligence from the mines — San Francisco as it was — Crime 
and its punishment — The Parker House and its gambling- 
tables — Climate of San Francisco — Start for the mines — 
Mosquitoes and tules — Arrival at Stockton — Stockton iu '49 
— En route to the mines. 

Sundai/, Au(j. o. — Last night we cmne to anchor 
just outside the Gokien Gate, in eighteen fathoms 
of ^vatel•, "where we remained until six o'clock this 
morning, when "sve stood into the harbor, and at 
eleven o'clock, A. M., rounded Clark's Point aud 
dropped anchor off the town of San Francisco. 

The cable had scarcely ceased rattling over the 
bitts, before half a dozen shore-boats, manned by 
piratical-looking beach-combers, were alongside of 
ns, which were soon filled with passengers at ^2 per 
head. Not being overstocked with the one thing- 
needful, I concluded to await a passage ashore in 
one of tlie brig's boats, which the Captain informed 
me would be ready in a few hours. 

The first Philadelphian that came on board was a 
man named Brown, formerly a dry-goods merchant 
in Bank {Street, in that city. Mr. Brown, like 
a sensible man, availed himself of the Isthmus 

(214) 



SUMMARY OF THE VOYAGE. 217 

route in j^reference to a passage around Cajoe Horn, 
and although he started at the same time we did, 
reached CaHfornia some four months ahead of us. 
He had already made several thousand dollars by 
transporting goods from San Francisco to Sacra- 
mento City, and trafficking in provisions and min- 
ing implements. 

Immediately after dinner the boat was got ready, 
and I went ashore for letters, but on reaching the 
joost-office I found it closed, which caused me to 
turn away with a sad heart. I soon returned on 
board the brig and commenced arranging my bag- 
gage preparatory to transferring it on shore. 

The following is a recapitulation of the voyage of 
the Osceola between Philadelphia and San Francisco: 

Sailed from Philadelphia, January 16, 1849, and 
arrived at Pio de Janeiro on the 6th of March 
following; number of days at sea, 49; distance 
sailed, 6,088 miles. Pemained in Pio, 12 days. 
Sailed from Pio de Janeiro March 18, and arrived 
at Talcahuana, Chili, May 14 ; number of days at 
sea, 57; distance sailed, 6,156 miles. Pemained in 
Talcahuana, 13 days. Sailed from Talcahuana May 
27, and arrived at San Francisco, August 5, 1849; 
number of days at sea, 70; distance sailed, 7,064 
miles. 

Total number of days at sea, . . . . . 176 

" " " in different ports, . . 25 
from Philadelphia to San 

Francisco, ....... 201 

Total number of miles sailed between Philadelphia 

and San Francisco, .... . 19,308 



218 GOOD NEWS FEOM HOME. 

At dayliglit on tlie morning of tlie 6th, I went 
ashore in the market-boat and again wended my 
way over the sand-hills to the post-office, where I 
found some two hundred individuals already formed 
in file at the delivery-window anxiously awaiting 
the opening of the office. I fded in at the rear of 
the line formed at the window; at seven o'clock, A. 
M., the shutters were unbarred and thrown open, 
and the delivery of mail-matter commenced. After 
remaining in the line U2>war(.]s of two hours, I 
reached the window and received three letters and 
a JV^ew York Herald, containing my letter written 
for that paper at Kio. I clutched the letters with 
a nervous hand and with fear and trembling broke 
the seals and glanced hurriedly over their contents. 
They contained intelligence from the States up to 
the month of June, and, when I learned that the 
loved ones in their far-away home were all well, 
my heart leaped with joy. On my way down to 
the Plaza I met several of my fellow-passengers 
on their way to the post-office. When I informed 
them that it would require half a day to reach the 
deli very- window, a disconsolate Dutchman, from 
one of the interior counties of Pennsylvania, ejacu- 
lated, " Mine Got in himmel ; vat a tyfel of a 
country dis isli !" I consoled him with the idea 
that the farther he went, the worse he would prob- 
ably fare. 

In the afternoon I visited the encampment of the 
gold-diggers in Hap^^y Valley, for the purpose of 
selecting a site on which to pitch my tent. On the 
following day I moved my luggage ashore, and 




BEACH OF VERBA BUENA COVE, 1849. 




POST-OFFICE. 1849. 



219 



EMPLOYMENT AT $8 PEE, DAY. 221 

located myself among tlie sojourners there. My 
provisions and mining implements were soon landed 
from the Osceola, and I made the necessary arrange- 
ments for spending a few weeks in San Francisco 
as comfortably as possible. I learned from the 
exj)erienced in such matters, that the water in the 
tributaries of the Sacramento and San Joaquin was 
too higli to admit of working in the wet diggings to 
advantage, and that the dry diggings could not be 
successfully worked until late in the fall, after the 
rainy season had set in. I therefore concluded to 
remain in San Francisco until the middle of Sep- 
tember. The limited state of my finances — six dol- 
lars and seventy-five cents, all told — would not admit 
of my remaining idle during the interim, therefore 
I immediately set out in quest of employment. 
Passing down Pacific Street tovfard Clark's Point, 
I saw several of my fellow-j)assengers engaged 
shoveling and wheeling dirt, at $5 23er day. I 
applied for a situation, but was informed there was 
no vacancy. I soon after obtained a situation in 
the lumber-yard of Palmer, Cook & Co., at |8 a 
day, which I held until I had raised the requisite 
funds to defray my expenses to the mines. Some 
old fossil has said or written, jDerhaps both, that 
" poverty is no disgrace ;" but to a person with a 
diaphragm and an appetite, it is very unpleasant and 
depressing, with the following bill of fare staring 
him in the face : *' Beefsteak, $1 ; coffee, 75 cents ; 
bread, with butter, 50 cents !" 

San Francisco — formerly Yerba Buena — is a 
queer place. It contains at this time a dozen adobe 



222 SECURITY OF LIFE AND PROPERTY. 

structures and perhaps two luindreJ rougiilv-con- 
structed frame buildings, mostly shipped around 
Cape Horn. The beach, Happy Valley, for the 
space of two miles, is covered with canvas and 
rubber tents, and the adjacent sand-hills are dotted 
to their summits with these frail but convenient 
tenements of the prospective miner. The popula- 
tion, numbering perhaps five thousand, is as hetero- 
geneous as their habitations. It seems as though 
every nation on the face of the earth had sent a 
representative to this place, and that they had all 
arrived with their credentials. Such a medley of 
languages and jargon of tongues the world has 
seldom seen. It is a modern Babel. Yet, para- 
doxical as it may seem, it is nevertheless true, that 
life and property are as secure here as in the 
cities of New York, Boston or Philadelphia, and 
fire-arms are seldom carried as weapons of defense 
by either citizens or strangers. The commission of 
a theft is a rare occurrence, although millions of 
doUai's' worth of merchandise is " Ivins; around 
loose" and unguarded. The raid by the citizens 
on the " Hounds," a gang of cut-throats and thieves, 
and the incarceration of five of the ringleaders on 
board the U. IS. sloop-of-war Warrenj some four 
weeks previous to our arrival, has completely revo- 
lutionized aifairs in San Francisco and placed a 
wholesome check on roguery. It is universally 
conceded in this country, that hanging is not one 
of the " Lost Arts," and, so long as Judge Lynch 
shall continue to occupy the bench, justice will be 
meted out with an impartial hand. 




'l/i"|||ffl l,||l||„ |\,\,A\A^i 



GAMBLING. 225 

Tliero are lying ut aiiclior in the liarbor of San 
Francisco at tliis time, lour U. S. vessels of war and 
upwards of two hundred sail of merchantmen, most 
of the latter being without crews, the gold fever 
having carried them ojf to the mines. Ilents are 
enormously high. The Parker House, the principal 
hotel in town, rents for one hundred and seventy- 
five thousand dollars 2)er annum ! Tlie tenants are 
principally gamblers, who, in some instances, pay 
as high as |1,000 per month for the privilege of 
running a montr qy faro table. The roulette, heno, 
rattle-and-suap and other small-fry gamblers \YAy 
less amounts, but I am inclined to the belief that 
they put as much money in their purses as do their 
more aristocratic neighbors. The gaming-tables 
are always crowded with those who have no better 
sense than to stake their last ounce of dust on the 
" hazard of a die." If the fickle goddess smiles on 
them, well and good ; if she frowns, and they lose 
the last farthing in their possession, they immedi- 
ately hie away to tlie mines, and after having filled 
tlieir l)uckskin pouches .with the " dust," return and 
buck against faro and monte until their purses are 
again depleted, and then once more to the mines 
to retrieve their lost fortunes. In ninety-nine cases 
out of every hundred, the more an individual puts 
down on a gaming-table the less he takes up. In 
the Parker House and El Dorado, full brass bands 
are engaged at a cost of several hundred dollars a 
night to draw victims into their toils — 

" Step into my parlor, said the spider to tlie fly." 



226 QUICK SALES AND LIGHT PROFITS. 

Pyramids of golden nuggets of various sizes, ag- 
gregating in value thousands of dollars, are dis- 
played on the gambling-tables to excite the avarice 
and cupidity of the unwary. 

Mrs. Grundy has not yet arrived here, conse- 
quently social and society lines have not been 
strictly drawn. One man is equally as good as 
another, and in some instances a little better. Every 
one seems fully impressed with the belief that it is 
either "root hog or die" — the majority root! All 
seem to be working harmoniously on the same 
plane. A graduate of Yale considers it no disgrace 
to sell peanuts on the Plaza, a disciple of Coke 
and Blackstone to drive a mule-team, nor a New 
York poet to sell the New York Tribune at 50 cents 
a coj^y. Mechanical labor commands from $12 to 
$16 per da}^, and common laborers receive from $6 
to $8 per day. Provisions and building materials 
are exorbitantly high, but clothing and dry-goods 
are selling as low as in the States. An article in 
demand will sell at any price your conscience will 
allow you to ask for it. I sold a force-pump that 
cost $40 in Philadelphia to a Californian for $175, 
and he considered that he got it remarkably cheap, 
as he afterwards informed me. I assured him 
that I was perfectly satisfied, and that my motto in 
business was, quick sales and light profits. 

Tlie climate of San Francisco, though reputed 
healthy, is not agreeable to the unacclimated. The 
mornings and evenings during the spring and sum- 
mer months are damp and chilly, and at meridian the 
thermometer is usually somewhere in the neighbor- 




JiJaii|-^i-^£^' .li-JLii^^^t t, +' i.^ 




PARKER HOUSE AND DENNISON'S EXCHANGE, 1849. 




INTERIOR OF EL DORADO SALOON, 1850. 



227 



THE CLIMATE. 229 

hood of 80°. A heavy dew falls at night, which 
renders woolen clothing requisite during the summer 
months. Were it not for the heavy rains, the winter 
months would be the most delightful part of the 
year. Between the rains the atmosphere is as mild 
and balmy as June in the Atlantic States. I find 
that summer clothing is of no manner of use here. 
In the mines the dew, I am informed, is very light 
during the spring, summer and fall, and the climate 
approximates nearer to our own. 

On the 4th of Sej)tember I began to make the 
necessary arrangements for my departure to the 
mines. I exchanged my large sea-chest for a trunk, 
which I packed full of clothing and placed in a 
store-house, with the understanding that I should 
.2:)ay tlirce dollars 'per month storage or forfeit the 
trunk and its contents at the expiration of six 
months. The only articles of clothing I selected to 
take to the mines were two red flannel shirts, a pair 
of pilot-cloth pants, a pair of long mining boots 
and a Mexican somhrero. I disposed of all my 
provisions, with the exception of a half-barrel of 
pork and a barrel of pilot-bread, which I concluded 
would serve for my subsistence until I could dig 
gold enough to replenish my stores. It was several 
days before I could determine whether to visit the 
northern or southern mines. I had heard nothing 
of the southern mines 2>i"^vious to my arrival in 
California, they having been discovered several 
months after the first gold was found by Marshall 
at Sutter's Mill. The southern mines are reported 
more healthy than the northern and equally rich, 



230 OFF FOR THE MINES. 

therefore I concluded to give them the first trial. 
Accordingly, on the morning of the 6th of Septem- 
her, I engaged passage on hoard the brigantine 
Rambler, Captain Dunham, bound for Stockton, on 
the San Joaquin Kivcr, distant from San Francisco 
160 miles. The Rambler belonged to Palmer, 
Cook & Co., owners of the lumber-yard in which I 
had been employed most of the time since my ar- 
rival in San Francisco, consequently they charged 
me only $16 passage to Stockton. 

During the forenoon I struck my tent and re- 
moved it, together with my provisions, on board 
the Rambler. At one o'clock, P. M., accompanied 
by two of the Oseeola^s jiassengers, I went on board 
the brig, where I found some thirty adventurers 
en route to the southern mines. We hove up an- . 
clior at two o'clock, and at sundown the wind died 
entirely away, and we came to anchor in San Pablo 
Bay, where we remained during the night. We 
got under way at an early hour on the following 
morning, and during the forenoon passed Benicia, 
Boston and New York of the Pacific. The latter 
place Avas surveyed and laid out in blocks, with 
streets crossing each other at right-angles, by its 
original proprietor, Colonel J. Stevenson, of the 
New York Begiment of California Volunteers. It 
contains a solitary frame building, and I fear it will 
never rival its Atlantic namesake, either in popula- 
tion or wealth. 

At two o'clock, P. M., we left Suisun Bay and 
entered the San Joaquin Biver. The wind and 
tide being favorable, we made a good run during 



A MOSQUITO KAID. 233 

the afternoon, and when the tide turned came to 
anchor for the night. 

When the sun went down behind the tides that 
night the mosquitoes rose up. They swoojDed down 
u^on us like the locusts of Egyjit, with a determi- 
nation to devour every green thing. There were 
several on board the brig, and the mosquitoes 
seemed to know it. They didn't wait upon the 
order of coming, but they came in platoons, regi- 
ments and brigades, and their music made night 
hideous. We stood up manfully against fearful 
odds, and fought with a desperation worthy of a 
better cause. We proposed an armistice, then a 
treaty of peace with indemnity — anything to stop 
the flow of blood; but our adversaries presented 
their bills so often that we found it impossible to 
liquidate their claims, and as a last resort beat a 
hasty retreat into the hold of the brig and fastened 
down the hatches. 

Either side of the San Joaquin, from its en- 
trance into Suisun Bay to within a few miles of 
Stockton, is bordered by a continuous tule marsh, 
and during the summer and fall all the mosquitoes 
in California hold high carnival here. Early on 
the morning of the 8th we proceeded up the river 
with a fair wind and favorable tide. Before night 
we came to the conclusion that our brig was either 
too large for the river, or the river too small for 
the brig. Our Captain knew very little about 
seamanship), and less about the channel, therefore 
the brig ran aground several times during the day. 
Whenever-she grounded on a sand-bar or a mud- 

14 



234 AREIVAL IN STOCKTON. 

flat, a rope was made f\ist to the taffrail and all 
hands went ashore among the tides and mosquitoes 
and pulled her off. Captain Dunham being of an 
irritable disj^osition, and never having experienced 
religion in tlie natural way, nor taken any stock in 
early piety, made things on board the Rambler 
extremely lively for all hands. The exercise of 
pulling the brig off of mud -flats became monoto- 
nous before night, and the passengers rebelled. 
The Captain's remarks being more forcible than 
j)olite or convincing, we refused to obey his com- 
mands, and he tied up the brig for the night 
within 15 miles of Stockton. In nearly every 
bend of the river, whicli is as crooked as a Vir- 
ginia fence, we started a flock of ducks. I shot 
several during the day. At five o'clock next 
morning we got under way and proceeded up the 
river to the mouth of the slough on which Stockton 
is situated, where we again grounded, but got off 
without much difliculty, and at four o'clock, P. M., 
reached Stockton. 

On my departure from San Francisco, I had re- 
ceived from Mr. George W.Wright, the junior part- 
ner of the firm of Palmer, Cook & Co., a letter of 
introduction to a merchant in Stockton, of the name 
of Leland, whose acquaintance I made immediately 
U23on landing, and was invited by him to remove 
my baggage on board his store-shijo, tied uj) at the 
bank of the slough, and consider it my home as 
long as I remained in that place. I gladly availed 
myself of his kind invitation, which was also ex- 
tended to my two companions, the brothers Kelly, 



234 AEEIVAL IN STOCKTON. 

flat, a rope was made fast to the taffrail and all 
hands Avent ashore among the tides and mosquitoes 
and pulled her off. Captain Dunham being of an 
irritable disposition, and never having experienced 
religion in the natural way, nor taken any stock in 
early piety, made things on board the Rambler 
extremely lively for all hands. The exercise of 
pulling the brig off of mud-flats became monoto- 
nous before night, and the passengers rebelled. 
The Captain's remarks being more forcible than 
polite or convincing, we refused to obey his com- 
mands, and he tied up the brig for the night 
within 15 miles of Stockton. In nearly every 
bend of the river, which is as crooked as a Vir- 
ginia fence, we started a flock of ducks. I shot 
several during the day. At five o'clock next 
morning we got under way and proceeded w^ the 
river to the mouth of the slough on which Stockton 
is situated, where we again grounded, but got off 
without much difficulty, and at four o'clock, P. M., 
reached Stockton. 

On my departure from San Francisco, I had re- 
ceived from Mr. George W. Wright, the junior part- 
ner of the firm of Palmer, Cook & Co., a letter of 
introduction to a merchant in Stockton, of the name 
of Leland, whose acquaintance I made immediately 
upon landing, and was invited by him to remove 
my baggage on board his store-ship, tied up at the 
bank of the slough, and consider it my home as 
long as I remained in that place. I gladly availed 
myself of his kind invitation, which was also ex- 
tended to my two companions, the brothers Kelly, 



238 SUCCESS AND DISAPPOINTMENT. 

nent business men several Pliiladelpliians, among 
"wliom are Messrs. Gillingliam and Henry Hugg. 

During my brief sojourn in Stockton, miners were 
constantly arriving from the different diggings, 
some in quest of 2:)rovisions, and others en route to 
San Francisco for the purpose of returning to the 
States by the first conveyance. Those who had gone 
to the mines with the determination to give them a 
thorough trial before crying pcccavi were generally 
successful; but those who had expected to realize for- 
tunes immediately upon reaching the placers were 
invariably disappointed, and becoming disheartened 
returned to San Francisco with their hands in their 
breeches' pockets, and their liearts very nearly in 
the same place. I made it a rule to inquire of every 
miner I met about his success in the mines, and the 
best location for a green-hand to visit. Some an- 
swered my interrogatories in a satisfactory manner, 
and others, not being overstocked with tlie milk of 
human kindness, intimated that I had better learn 
from experience. I soon came to the latter con- 
clusion, and commenced making the necessary pre^o- 
arations for my departure. I packed my provisions 
in raw-hide sacks, engaged transportation mules, 
and on the morning of the 13th, accompanied by 
the brothers Kelly, set out for the placers on the 
river Calaveras, distant about 40 miles. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

First day and night on the road — Digger Indians — The sur- 
prise — Badly friglitened — "Song of the Gold-Digger" — ■ 
The wrong road — Arrival at the " diggins " — Commence 
operations — Tlie result — Rich " diggins " reported — Start on 
a prospecting tour — Return disgusted — Discovery of a rich 
bar — Commence operations — Sickness of the Author — Re- 
turn to, Stockton — Leave Stockton for San Francisco — 
Changes wrought in two months — Canvass for a newspaper 
route — The Pacific News — Its early history. 

OuE, first day's journey was over a level and 
sparsely-timbered country, thickly covered with 
wild oats and mustard. Owing to the excessive heat 
of the weather and the j)roverbial stubbornness of 
our mules, we encamped the first night 12 miles 
from Stockton. After the mules had been relieved 
of their loads and pack-saddles and securely tethered, 
we kindled a fire at the roots of a large oak, and, 
having eaten a hastily-j)repared meal of broiled 
pork, pilot-bread and coffee, spread our blankets on 
the ground and turned in for the night. When I 
awoke next morning, the muleteers had the animals 
packed ready for a start, and my companions were 
seated around the camp-fire discussing a pot of 
coffee which I helped them to dispatch, then shoul- 
dering our fire-arms we resumed our journey. The 
heat and dust during the day were almost insuj^port- 
able. The dust in our trail was as hot as the ashes 

(239) 



240 VISIT A LODGE OF DIGGER INDIANS. 

of ji volcano, and curled and cris2)ed our boots until 
it Avas with great dilliculty we could travel. We 
bivouacked the second night under the wide-spread- 
ing branches of an oak on the north bank of the 
Calaveras, 20 miles fi'oni our previous night's en- 
campment. AVe killed sevei-al quail and squirrels 
during the day, which, with the addition of hard- 
tack and coffee, served for our supper. 

In the evening we visited the lodge of a party of 
Digger Indians en route to Stockton, who were 
encamped a few hundred yards below us. They 
treated us with great civility, and at parting pre- 
sented us with a quarter of dried venison, which 
was very acceptable. I presented the chief — avIio, 
by-the-by, was one of the ugliest-looking red-skins 
I ever beheld — with a plug of tobacco. The Digger 
eats very little animal food. Like his brother, the 
gorilla, he is a vegetarian and subsists 2)rincipally 
on wild berries and acorns, occasionally luxuriating 
on snails and grasshoppers. He cuts his hair with 
a sharp stone, and boils water in a basket. In 
the winter he burrows in the earth like a prairie 
dog, and emerges from his den in the spring as fat 
as a grizzly. His costume is decidedly primitive 
and airy, consisting of a breech-clout and a pair of 
moccasins. Since civilization has overtaken him, 
he occasionally dons a 2)aper collar and a pair of 
Mexican spurs. 

On our return to camp we placed the muleteers 
on guard, and wrapping ourselves in our blankets, 
were soon fast in the embrace of Morpheus. Just 
before daylight I was startled by the sharp report 



INDULGE IN A SONG. 243 

of a rifle and a tremendous clattering of tin pans, 
pots and kettles. I grasped my rifle, which was 
lying alongside of me, and sprang behind the near- 
est tree, where I found my two companions dodging 
about like lizards around a cabbage-tree, expecting 
every moment to be skewered by the arrow of an 
Indian. I am not easily frightened, but I will con- 
fess that I felt a little nervous. Our fears were 
soon relieved by one of the muleteers, who informed 
us that he had discharged his gun at a coyote. The 
"varmint,^^ not having the fear of powder and lead 
before his eyes, had commenced depredations on 
one of our provision sacks. He escaped unscathed, 
but, in his sudden departure, had upset our coffee- 
pot and other tinware, which impressed us with the 
belief that the Diggers had made an attack on our 
camp. 

After rolling up our blankets, we set about pre- 
paring our morning repast, which being completed 
at sunrise, we assisted the muleteers to pack the 
animals and again resumed our journey. Charley 
Kelly and myself started ahead of the train, and 
being in a musical mood, I struck up the following 
song, to the air of " O Susannah," and my com- 
panion joined in the chorus : 

SONG OF THE GOLD-DIGGER. 



I came from Quakcrdclpliia 

With my wash-bowl ou my knee, 

I'm going to California, 
The gold-dust for to see. 



244 SONG OF THE GOLD-DIGGER. 

It rained all night the day I left, 

The weather it was dry, 
The sun so hot I froze to death, 

O Anna, don't you cry ! 

Chorus — O California! 

That's the land for me, 
I'm going to Calaveras, 
With my wash-bowl on my knee. 



II. 

The Osceola I did board. 

And traveled on the sea ; 
And every time I thought of home, 

I wished it wasn't me ! 
The brig she reared like any horse 

That had of oats a wealth — 
But she found slio couldn't throw me, 
So I thought I'd throw myself. 
Chorus — O Ann Eliza ! 

Don't you cry for me, 
I'm going to Calaveras, 

With my wash-bowl on my knee. 



III. 

I thought of all the pleasant times 

We'd had together, dear ; 
I thought I ought to cry a bit. 

But couldn't find a tear ; 
The pilot-bread was in my mouth. 

The gold-dust in my eye. 
And though from you I'm far away, 
Dear Anna, don't you cry. 
Chorus — O Ann Eliza ! 

Don't you cry for me, 
I'm going to Calaveras, 

With my wash-bowl on my knee. 



TKACK OF A GRIZZLY. 245 

IV. 

I soon sliall bo iu mining camp, 

And then I'll look around, 
And wlien I sec the gold-dust there, 

I'll pick it off the ground. 
I'll scrape the mountains clean, old girl, 

I'll drain the rivers dry, 
A pocketful of rocks bring home. 

So, Anna, don't you cry. 

Chorus — O California ! 

That's the land for me, 
I'm going to Calaveras, 

With my wash-bowl on my knee. 

Durins: the mornins; we killed a liare and several 
quail. We also saw in tlie trail the fresh foot- 
print of a grizzly, and congratulated ourselves that 
the foot was not in it, for we had no desire to meet 
one of those animals, even under the most favorable 
circumstances. We sto2)ped on the bank of a small 
stream, 12 miles from our last encampment, and 
awaited the arrival of our companions and baggage. 
After dinner, I again set out ahead of the train, 
and at four o'clock, P. M., arrived at Dos Agua — 
"double springs" — where I learned from a Sonorian 
that I had traveled some 4 miles beyond the trail 
that led to the Calaveras diggings. After partaking 
of a cup of coffee, for which I paid fifty cents, I re- 
traced my steps to the Calaveras trail, and though 
weary and footsore, j^ushed on as rapidly as possible 
after my companions, whom I overtook at sundown, 
as they were entering the Calaveras canon. I was 
completely exhausted, and spreading my })lanket on 
the bank of the nver, retired supperless for the 



246 COMMENCE OPERATIONS. 

night. I awoke at an early liour next morning, 
and after 2:)artaking of a hearty breakfast, discharged 
the muleteers and commenced making preparations 
for pitching my tent. 

I suggested to my com2:)anions the propriety of 
messing together, to which they readily assented. 
We accordingly pitched our tents under a large oak 
near the bank of the river, and spent the remainder 
of the day unj^acking and arranging our stores and 
cooking utensils. Although our provisions were 
joint stock, we agreed to dig for the oro separately — 
each man for himself. 

On the morning of the 17th, I arose at five 
o'clock, and dressing myself a la California, shoul- 
dered my pick, crow-bar and spade, and started, tin 
pan in hand, for the bar of the river, where I com- 
menced my initiatory labors at gold-digging. I 
was engaged all the forenoon removing the large 
rocks from my claim. In the afternoon I com- 
menced washing the earth, and at sundown I 
weighed my " dust " and found I had panned out a 
quarter of an ounce — $4 worth. On the following 
day I washed out f 10 worth of the precious metal. 
Learning from a Mexican that rich diggings had 
been discovered by a ^^rij of Digger Indians, 
on a bar several miles lower down the river, I re- 
ported the circumstance to my companions, and a 
party was forthwith formed to visit the Indian dig- 
gings on the following day. 

On the morning of the 20th of September, 
accompanied by a party of miners of various 
nationalities and colors, I started on a prospecting 



SEEKING BETTER DIGGINGS. 249 

tour to the reported rich Indian diggings. On our 
arrival at the encampment of the Indians, Ave were 
somewhat surprised at meeting only half a dozen 
squaws and papooses. We inquired for the bucks, 
but could obtain no satisfactory answer to our inter- 
rogatories. Being somewhat fatigued by a march 
of three hours over hills and through gulches and 
canons, exposed to the broiling rays of the sun, we 
placed our fire-arms against a tree, and sat down to 
rest our weary limbs and chat with the squaws. 
We had been seated only a few moments, when the 
Indians commenced making their appearance from 
all points of the compass. Every rock in the caiiou 
seemed to send forth a red-skin. We secured our 
fire-arms and again sat down. The Indians were 
rather shy at first, but after a little persuasion 
seated themselves around us, and those wdio could 
speak Spanish entered into conversation with us. 
After a few preliminary remarks, we informed them 
of tlie object of our visit, and asked if there was 
plenty of oro in the caiion. They shrugged their 
shouldei-s and informed us that the canon was much 
a malo ; but we j^laced very little reliance on what 
they said, and in order fully to satisfy ourselves in 
regard to the richness of the locality, commenced 
j)rospecting. After traveling over the caiion and 
bed of the river several hours, looking for gold, we 
came to the conclusion that the Indians had told 
the truth, and, bidding them good-bye, commenced 
retracing our steps. 

Midway between the Indian encampment and 
our own,-we discovered a bar richer than the one 



250 GOLD-DUST AND RHEUMATISM. 

we were working, and concluded to remove to it on 
the following day. Accordingly, at an early hour 
next morning, we hundled up our tents and pro- 
visions, packed them on mules, and started for the 
new diggings, which we reached at noon. The 
afternoon was spent in pitching our tents and ar- 
ranging the provisions. At daylight next morning 
I selected what I considered a good location, and 
commenced operations. I lahored hard two days 
in removing the boulders from my claim, but 
was amply rewarded for my labor. On the third 
day I reached a crevice in a rock, some four feet 
beloAV the surface of the ground, and in two hours 
succeeded in extracting therefrom forty-five dollars' 
worth of gold ill nuggets of the vahie of from 
one to five dollars. I did not report my good-luck 
to my companions, but toiled on, early and late, 
day after day, until 1 had extracted nearly four 
hundred dollars' worth of the precious metal from 
the claim. I then abandoned it, and reported jiro- 
gress to my felloAv-diggers, all of whom had been 
less fortunate than myself. 8onie had not averaged 
one dollar per day ; others had been more success- 
ful, yet none had met with the success they antici- 
pated. Those who had expected to realize a fortune 
in a few days or weeks were sadly disappointed. I 
left San Francisco with the intention of remaining 
ill the mines during the fall and winter, but I had 
not dug three weeks before I found my health and 
strength failing. On the 10th of October, I had an 
attack of rheumatism which doubled me up like a 
rainbow and put a veto ou any further attempts at 




MINING SCENK, IMO 



251 



SELL OUT AND ]li:TIIlE. 253 

gokl-digging. My comy)iinions advised mc to re- 
turn to Stockton or San Francesco and recruit my 
healtli, but I declined doing ho until I liad l)econie 
so cri])[)l(!d by disease that I could scarcely hobble 
out of iny tent. 

On the morning of the 12th, I sold my provisions 
and mining implements ])y auction at ruinous rates, 
and packing my wardrobe, consisting of an exti-a 
flannel sliirt, a pair of linsey-woolsey 2)ants, a six- 
shooter and a bowie-knife, I engaged passage in a 
trader's cart, and, bidding my companions adieu, 
started for Stockton, where I arrived the following 
evening. 

On my arrival in Stockton, I was advised l)y my 
friend Leland to place myself under the charge of a 
physician for a few weeks, or until I had fully re- 
covered my health. Accordingly, I visited the 
City Hospital, a large canvas tent, resem])ling very 
much a circus pavilion, and inquired the j)rice of 
board with medical attendance. The attending 
physician informed me that the charge was two 
ounces — .'|32 — })cr day ; but if I j)i"(^f'^ri'ed being 
visited at my own quarters, it would be some- 
wliat less. After haviug learned that I was not 
overstocked with the "root of all evil," he yv.ry 
condescendingly informed m(3 tliat he would charge 
me only .flG a visit, and tlie cost of tlie medicine 
prescribed. 1 left him with the promise that I 
would employ liim if I did not get better in a day 
or two. On my way Ijack to my lodgings, I re- 
collected having jiurcliased, before leaving Phila- 
delphia, a bottle of opodeldoc, and I at once resolved 



254 EMBAKK IX BUSINESS. 

upon testing its virtues before purchasing medi- 
cine at California prices. I accordingly applied it 
freely to my swollen limbs, and on the following 
day I felt yery much relieved. I continued the 
application, and when the bottle was emptied of its 
contents, I was a well man. I consider the twenty- 
five cents paid for that bottle of opodeldoc the most 
judicious investment I ever made. Having re- 
covered my health, I cast about for some employ- 
ment whereby I might turn an honest penny. 
During my sojourn in Stockton, I mixed freely 
with the returning and disgusted miners, from 
whom I learned that they were selling their mining 
implements at ruinously low prices. An idea struck 
me one day, which I immediately acted upon, for 
fear that another might strike in the same j^lace 
and cause an explosion. The heaven-born idea 
that had penetrated my cranium was this : start in 
the mercantile line, purchase the tents and imple- 
ments of the returning miners at low figures, and 
sell to the greenhorns r;i route to the mines at Cali- 
fornia prices ! I purchased a large tent in which 
to store my goods and commenced operations. 
Fortune smiled on me, and I was hapj^'. But 
every rose has its thorn, and 

*' The best laid plans of mice aud mou gang aft agleo." 

The first rain of the season dampened my ardor 
and disheartened me. My bowels yearned for the 
ficsh-pots of San Francisco, so, early in Xovember, 
I bade farewell to Stockton, engaged passage on 



HAPPILY SETTLED IN HAPPY VALLEY. 257 

board a scliooncr, and in due course of time reached 
the city of the Goklen Gate. 

San Francisco, during my absence of two months, 
had become so changed that I scarcely recognized 
it. Substantial frame buildings had superseded 
frail canvas tenements, and piers had been extended 
many hundred yards into the bay, at which vessels 
from the four quarters of the globe were dis- 
charging'their. cargoes. I visited the gold-diggers' 
encampment, Happy Valley, but that too was so 
changed, that I could hardly recognize a familiar 
spot or countenance. A three-story warehouse was 
being erected on the spot where I had pitched my 
tent two months previously. The saw and hammer 
of the carpenter could be heard in every square, 
and the voice of the crier and auctioneer at the 
corner of nearly every street. The Plaza was covered 
with booths, in which could be had the merchandise 
of all nations. 

As hotel accommodations were limited as well as 
expensive, I purchased for $100 a ship's galley, 
size four by five feet, wliicli I located in Happy 
Valley and commenced housekeeping. My fur- 
niture consisted of an empty flour-barrel and a nail- 
keg. The former served for a table and the latter 
as a chair, minus a back. My cooking utensils were 
as inexpensive as my furniture. A second-hand 
frying-pan, a dilapidated coffee-pot, and a rheumatic 
jack-knife comprised the catalogue. My bed con- 
sisted of two blankets and a soft block of w^ood for 
a pillow. Unfortunately, I was, by actual measure- 
ment, eight inches longer than my shebang ; there- 



258 A NEW IDEA. 

fore, -svlicn " I lay mo down to sleep," I was com- 
jielled to lie bias, and I couldn't turn over without 
going out-of-doors. 

" Man wants but little here below," 

but lie wants tluit little long enough to turn over in. 
With no disrespect to Happy Valley, there is one 
thing which, as a truthful historian, I am compelled, 
more in sorrow than in anger, to relate. The flea, 
that festive and lively little "animile," was quite 
prevalent. He annoyed me sorely, yea, prodig- 
iously I The sojourners in Happy Valley and sur- 
rounding sand-hills never required cupping or 
leeching, as both operations were jDcrformed by the 
fleas, nolens volcns. 

Deing the owner of a house, I commenced look- 
ing about for some employment whereby I could 
raise the needful to keep the Y>ot boiling. INIy first 
business venture Avas in the ])ickle line, and the 
following extract from my journal will illustrate 
the modus operandi : 

*' Pickles are scarce and sell at fabulous prices. The 
beach of Happy Valley for miles is lined with dis- 
carded pickle-jars and bottles, and I have conceived 
the happy idea of utilizing them. 1 have gathered 
up, cleansed and stored around my shelSang, several 
hundred bottles ready for use. This afternoon, I 
boarded a vessel just arrived from Boston, and per- 
suaded the Captain to sell me a barrel of salted 
cucumbers and half a barrel of cider-vinegar, to be 
delivered to-morrow^ morning." 

After supper I wrapped myself in my blankets 



PICKLES AND TOBACCO PIPES. 259 

and laid down to pleasant dreams ; but toward 
morning, I had a vision, and in that vision I saw — 
pickles. Captain Perkins delivered the cucumbers 
and vinegar, according to agreement, received his 
ivdj, and I immediately commenced bottling them. 
Before night, I had the largest stock of bottled 
pickles in San Francisco, and at the close of the 
week I struck a balance-sheet, and found that I had 
(bleared |^;>00 by the speculation. My next mer- 
cantile venture was a "corner" in tobacco pipes, by 
which I realized $150 in twenty-four hours. 

Having abiding faith in the old aphorism, 
"change makes change," I concluded to abandon 
mercantile pursuits and try my luck at the news- 
paper business. I resolved to commence at the 
lower round of the ladder, and gradually work my 
way u[)ward. Suiting the action to the thought, I 
at once ai)plied to the proprietors of the Pacific 
News, a tri-weekly, printed on a foolscap sheet, 
then in its infancy, for permission to canvass for a 
carrier's route on their journal. After a long in- 
terview, during which the project was discussed 
pro and con, I obtained the sole and exclusive right 
to canvass for subscribers, and serve the News in 
San Francisco and suburbs, which latter included 
Happy Valley and adjacent sand-hills. 

Messrs. Falkner & Leland, proprietors of the 
Pacific News, were botli Eastern men. Falkner 
formerly published a 2)a,per in Norwich, Conn., and 
Leland was one of the jiroprietors of the Clinton 
Hotel, New York, The first nund^er of the News 
was issued on the 25th of August, with Falkner 

15 



2G0 FEOM CARRIER TO BOOK-KEEPER. 

as editor, and Leland, business manager. A few 
weeks subsequently, Charles Eames, of Washing- 
ton, D. C, appointed by President Polk consul to 
the Hawaiian Islands, arrived in San Francisco, en 
route, but was jirevailed upon by Falkner & Leland 
to forego liis mission, locate in San Francisco, and 
assume editorial charge of their journal, at a salary 
of foOO per month. As the election and inaugu- 
ration of Zachary Taylor, as President of the 
United States, had rendered the recall of Mr. 
Eames a foregone conclusion, that gentleman con- 
sidered discretion the better part of valor, and 
accej)ted the editorship of the News. 

Simultaneously with the engagement of Mr. 
Eames as editor-in-chief, a tall, lank, hirsute Yan- 
kee, of the name of Ames alias "Boston" alias 
" Big Ames," was engaged as local reporter. A 
few weeks subsequently ]\Ir. Ferdinand C. Ewer, a 
recent graduate of old Harvard, and a gentleman 
of fine literary attainments, was added to the staff 
of the Netvs as assistant editor. 

I experienced little difficulty in getting uj") a 
paying list of subscribers for the Neivs. Nearly 
every one on whom I called gladly subscribed for 
it, and paid me promptly at the end of each week. 
I had scarcely become accustomed to my new 
vocation, when the situation of book-keeper was 
tendered to me by the proprietors of the Ncics, 
with a salary of I|100 a week. I sold my carrier's 
route for $200, my shebang in Happy Valley for 
$125, and accepted the situation, with the proffer 
of a sleeping-bunk in the office. Soon after I was 



THE PACIFIC NEWS. 261 

installed in my new quarters, Mr. Leland sold 
Ills lialf-interest in the News to Major Allen, U. S. 
A., for 150,000, returned to New York and re- 
sumed his former occujoation, hotel-keeping. 

The PacifiG News was the fii^st tri- weekly, and 
the third newspaper then published in California, 
its cotemporaries being the Alia California, pub- 
lished by Gilbert & Kemble, in San Francisco, and 
the Placer Times, published by E. Gilbert & Co., 
Sacramento City, and edited by Jesse Giles — both 
Aveekly sheets, and small patterns at that, the latter 
being foolscap size. Printing-paper was very scarce 
in California, but the market was overstocked with 
unruled foolscap, which was substituted for the 
former. The size of the News was a foolscap sheet, 
and as enlargement was a matter of impossibility, 
sup]3lementary sheets were added to accommodate 
advertisers. The price of the News was 12 J cents 
a copy. Steamer edition, printed on wrapping- 
j)aper of various colors and qualities, 50 cents a 
copy. Advertisements were inserted at |5 a square, 
each insertion. 



CHAPTER XV. 

First State election — The winning candidates — " Fire ! fire ! 
fire !" — A million dollars' worth of property destroyed — 
"Big Ames's" report of the conflagration — An eccentric 
judge — Muddy streets — First vocal entertainment in San 
Francisco — Early theatricals — "Them literary fellers" — 
Terrence McVerdant — "A rallying song for the gold- 
diggers." 

The State Constitution, framed and signed by 
the delegates at IMonterey, in October, was sub- 
mitted to a vote of the people on November 13th. 
State officers were also voted for at the same time ; 
and the election passed off in an orderly manner. 
Out of the two thousand votes polled in San Fran- 
cisco only five were opposed to the Constitution, and 
in the whole country less than a thousand votes 
were cast against it, and upwards of twelve thousand 
for it. The following State officers, U. S. Senators 
and Kei^resentatives were elected : 

Governor, Peter H. Burnett; Lieutenant-Gov- 
ernor, John McDougal; U. S. Senators, John C. 
Fremont, Wm. ]\I. Gwin ; Represejitatives in Con- 
gress, George W. Wright, Edward Gilbert ; Secre- 
tary of State, Wm. Van Voorhies; Treasurer, 
Kichard Roman ; Comjjtroller, J. S. Houston ; At- 
torney- General, Edward J. C. Kewen ; Surveyor- 
General, Charles J. Whiting ; Chief Justice, S. C. 

(202) 



I ~~^\\ 




'liiiili^^^^^ M\m li 



FIRST ELECTION AND FIRST GREAT FIRE. 265 

Hastings ; Associate Justices, J. A. Lyon, Nathaniel 
Bennett ; State Senators, Gabriel B. Post, Nathaniel 
Bennett; Assembly, Wm. Van Voorhies, Edward 
Randoliih, Levi Stowell, J. H. Watson, J. A. Pat- 
terson. 

Late in October a Democratic meeting, the first 
in California, was held in the Plaza, in front of the 
"old adobe,^^ at which the following ofiicers were 
chosen : President, Colonel John W. Geary f' Vice- 
Presidents, Dr. McMillan, Thomas J. Agnew, John 
McVickar, W. H. Jones, O. P. Sutton, Annis Mer- 
rill, E. V. Joyce and W. H. Jones ; Secretaries, J. 
Ross Browne, John A. McGlynn, Joseph T. Dow- 
ney and Daniel Cronin. A series of resolutions 
were adopted, a red-hot Democratic speech delivered 
by the Hon. Wm. Van Voorhies, and the meeting 
adjourned. 

Early on the morning of the 24th of December, 
San Francisco was aroused by the startling cry of 
^^fire ! fire r and the citizens rushed pell-mell to 
the scene of conflagration. The fire originated in 
Dennison's Exchange, adjoining the Parker House, 
situated on Kearney Street, opposite the Plaza, and 
in a few hours property valued at more than a mil- 
lion dollars was destroyed. The Parker House, 
one of the most imposing buildings in San Fran- 
cisco, with its faro and monte tables and other 
gambling paraphernalia, was totally destroyed, as 
was also the El Dorado, at the corner of Washington 
and Kearney Streets. The blowing up of several 
buildings in Washington Street, near Montgomery, 

* Afterward Governor of Pennsylvania. 



266 "big ames" disgusted. 

by order of Alcalde Geary, arrested the progress of 
tlie fire in that direction. Nearly every building 
in the square bounded by Washington, Clay, Mont- 
gomery and Kearney Streets was destroyed. The 
controlling spirit during the progress of the fire 
was David C. Broderick,'" a New York fireman, 
who worked like a Trojan, and whose stentorian 
voice, shrill as a trumpet, could be heard above the 
crashing of the falling buildings and the din of the 
excited crowd. Before the ground in the burnt 
district had become cold, the debris was removed, 
canvas tenements erected, and the "gay gamboliers" 
were again plying their vocation as unconcernedly 
as if nothing had occurred to interfere with their 
business. 

That fire was a "big thing" for "big Ames," 
local editor of the News. He wrote out a sj^read- 
eagle report as long as the Declaration of Inde- 
pendence, but when it appeared in print on the fol- 
lowing morning, " curtailed of its fair projiortions," 
cut down to less than a foolscap column, he was 
completely demoralized. He lost his temper and 
swore like a trooper. All efforts to soothe his 
w^ounded feelings only added fresh fuel to the pent- 
up volcano raging within his breast, which erupted 
iron-clad oaths at every breath. He said "the 
News was a contemptible one-horse sheet ; its pro- 
prietors might possibly run a hotel, but they didn't 
understand the first principles of newsj^aper pub- 
lishing, and he'd be darned if he'd write another 
line for the d d paper " — and he didn't. 

* Subsequently U. S. Senator from California. 



A HARD-SHELL ALMOND. 2G7 

During the flxll the business of the Alcalde had 
increased to such a degree, that the establishment 
of another court, with civil jurisdiction only, and in 
cases of sums exceeding $100, was authorized by 
the Governor, and William B. Almond was ap- 
pointed judge. His court was called the "Court of 
First Instance." Almond was no paper-shell, but 
a decidedly hard nut to crack, as the legal frater- 
nity who practiced in his court soon learned. He 
was a man of few words, and, to economize time, 
generally decided a case on the testimony of the 
first witness, without listening to the arguments of 
counsel. During the trial of a trivial case before 
his Honor, the counsel for the p)laintiff called his 
ojiponent an oscillating Tarquin. The judge, in a 
stentorian voice, roared out : "A what ?" 

"' An oscillating Tarquin, your Honor." 

The judge removed his feet from the table in 
front of him, leaned forward, and pointing his 
index finger toward the ofiending disciple of 
Blackstone, ejaculated, in a voice of thunder : " If 
this honorable court knows herself, and she thinks 
she do, that remark is an insult to this honorable 
court, and you are fined two ounces, and stand 
committed till you down with the dust." 

" But, your Honor," replied the trembling petti- 
fogger. 

" Silence, sir ; this honorable court won't tolerate 
cussing, and never goes back on her decisions !" 

It is needless to add that the fine was paid, and 
the trial proceeded. 

"Old Tarquin," as the judge was afterward called, 



268 THE RAINY SEASON AND THE STREETS. 

was a clccided character. On a subsequent occasion 
lie adjourned court ten minutes in order to take a 
drink with one of the jurors. On another occasion 
he insisted on trying two separate cases with the 
same jury. He said tlic jurors understood the 
rulings of the court, and rendered a square verdict! 
The rainy season was now at its height — that 
ever-to-be-remembered fall and winter of lS49-'oO 
— and the streets were simjoly awful ! Awful is a 
mild term, but I can't just now call to mind a more 
expressive adjective. They ran rivers of mud, and 
swallowed uj^ every living tiling that attempted to 
cross them. Water-proof suits and cavalry or long 
boots were in great demand, and commanded Mun- 
chausenistic prices. It was no uncommon occur- 
rence to see at the same time a mule stalled in the 
middle of the street with only his head above 
the mud, and an unfortunate pedestrian who had 
sli2~»ped off the plank sidewalk, being fished out by 
a companion. Some good Samaritan, with a heart 
overflowing with the milk of human kindness, 
erected at the corner of Clay and Kearney Streets 
the following warning to the unwary : 



This street is impassable. 
Not even jackassable ! 



On January 8th, the anniversary of the Battle of 
New Orleans, another election, the second in San 
Francisco, was held for members of the Legislature, 




OLD SCHOOL-HOUSE, OPPOSITE THE PLAZA. 




MUDPY STRFETS, WINTER OF ISIO-'GO. 



2C0 



CONCERT, CIRCUS AND THEATRE, 271 

Alcalde and Ayuntainiento. Despite the rain, wliicli 
poured down in torrents during the day, the un- 
terrified voters turned out in full strength, and 
elected the following gentlemen to the offices named; 
State Senator, David C. Broderick; Memhcr of As- 
sembly, Samuel J. Clarke ; First Alcalde, John W. 
Geary ; Second Alcalde, Frank Turk ; Ayunta- 
miento, Hugh C. Murray, A. M. Van Nostrand, 
M. Crooks, J. Ilagan, F. C. Gray, Frank Tilford, 
A. J. Ellis, Talbot H. Green, Wm. M. Stewart, 
Samuel Brannan, W. II. Davis and James S. 
Graham. 

Man is naturally a social being ; he likes rational 
enjoyment, and is fond of amusement. The first 
vocal entertainment in San Francisco was given by 
Mr. Stej^hen C. Massett, in the school-house, front- 
ing the Plaza, on the evening of June 22d, 1849. 
It was a one-man entertainment — Mr. Massett be- 
ing the only performer. Front seats were reserved 
for the ladies, of whom there were four present. 
Tickets were %?> each, and the house was crowded 
to overflowing. During the year 1849, and the 
early ])art of 1850, circuses were established in San 
Francisco, first by Howe and soon after by Foley. 
The following were the prices of admission : Pit, $o ; 
box, |5 ; private boxes, $50. The first theatrical 
performance in San Francisco was given in Janu- 
ary, 1850, by a company under the management 
of At water ct IMadison, in the second story of 
Washington Hall, on Washington Street, opposite 
the Plaza. The plays produced were Charles II 
and Tlie Wife. Subsequently, Mr. Howe added a 



li/LJ TERRENCE McVERDANT. 

stage to liis circus for tliciitrical jierformanccs, and 
the Ibl lowing urtistes were engaged: Mr. and Mrs. 
Hiimbleton, Mr. ;ind INFrs. Ijattuss, and INIr. and 
Mrs. McCron. IMesdanies l\ay and Kirby soon 
after joined tlie c()ni])any. 

About this time the editor of the Ncivs was sorely 
Avorried by " them literary fellers," who abound in 
all communities, with their contributions on all con- 
ceivable subjects, which in most cases were con- 
signed to the waste-basket, that receptacle of the 
outcropi)ings of una2)preciated genius. 

The following epistle, however, found its way into 
print. It was written by a disconsolate son of the 
Emerald Isle to his sweetheart in New York, and 
shows tlie status of matters viewed from a Hibernian 
stand-point : 

San Fransisky, Doc. 1, 1849. 
BiPDY Darlin' : — I've been to the ininos, bud hick to 'em. 
For siviu long weeks, Biddy, acushhv, I sarchcd tlic bowels of 
icrri/ firmer lor goold, and all I got was the dissintcrry, by 
rasiu of workin' on an eni])ty .stoniick. The divil a thing to 
ate for brekiist, and the same for dinner, and ditto repated for 
supper ; an' all the time throwing up mud an' wathcr, is mighty 
wakening for the insides. Pitaytecs was a $1 a pound, and no 
mate to be had but gristly bares, Avhich is tough customers. 
In cowld wether the craythurs — I mano gristly bares — comes 
down from the mountains, with their arums extended, as if 
they wantid to bid ye welkim ; but the moment they're for- 
nenst ye, they grab ye, the craythers, and scjuazo the breth o' 
life out ov ye. Some ov the byes that wint out in the saiue 
ship Avid me found goold galore, but the divil as nuich as the 
vally of a weddin'-ring, Biddy, did Terry git for his thrubble. 
The black luck was on me, darlin', for laviu ye, a daceut, 
modest colleen, as ye arc, to come to a kunthry where the 
wimiu are the color of a dirthy copper-kittle, and have no 



EARLY POETRY. 273 

more dry-goods on their backs, saviu' your priscncc, Biddy, 
than mother Ave had before she turned mauty-maker an' 
iut(M-duced the iasluui of tlic vogotabul apruns. 

I got back from tlio miiios a fortnit ago, and a most unl'ortnit 
go it was for me that I ever wint there. Here J am in Ban 
Frausisky knoekin' about without a rap. What's to become of 
me, Biddy, mavourneen, the saints only know. Only to think 
that I should lave the comfortable berth I had swapiug tho 
strates of Now Yorick, to come to this haythen kunthry, where 
the strate-claning is done by the burds, and drinkin', gamblin', 
spcckalatin' an' shooiside is the oidy fashionable amusements. 
Ye'U see it statid in the j)apers, Biddy, that tho diggers are 
findin' goold in " quartz." Biddy, it's a lie ! — a base, disatc- 
ful, onchristian lie! I niver seen a lump of goold yit that 
would fdl a gill measure. 

Couldn't ye raise a subskripshun, Biddy, among the stratc- 
swapers, to pay me j)assidge back. If 1 was only back in New 
Yorick, dead or alive, I'd niver lave it while grass grows and 
wather runs. Your loving, 

Terrence Mc Verdant. 

The following poem, the earliest written and pul)- 
lished in California, appeared in i]\v. PaciJiG News^ 
with tho following editorial comments : 

We cannot refrain from publishing the following vigorous 
stanzas, trusting that they will impart as much pleasure in tho 
j^erusal, to our readers, as they have to ourselves. "We should 
be hai)])y to give the author's name, as wo deem them to possess 
no ordinary merit : 

A RALLYING SONG FOR THE G0LD-DIGGI:RS. 

To the mines ! to the mines ! away to the mines ! 
Where the virgin gold in the crevice shines! 
Where the shale and tho slate and the quartz enfold, 
In their stony arms, the glittering gold. 



274 SONG OF THE GOLD-DIGGERS. 

'Tis in vain that yc seek any longer to hide 
Your treasures of gold in your rivers so wide, 
In your gulches so deep, or your wild canon home, 
For the Anglo-American race is come. 

And the noise that ye hear is the sound of the spade. 
The pick, the bar, and the bright shining blade. 
Of the knife and the shovel, the cradle and pan, 
Brave adjuncts of toil to the laboring niau! 

Far up in the mountain, all rugged and steep, 

Far down in the canon, all foaming and deep. 

In the bars of the rivers — the small mountain plains, 

Lies the wealth that yc seek for, in numberless grains. 

Turn the stream from its bed — search the bottom with care, 
The largest, the richest, the finest is there ; 
Dig deep in tlic gulches, nor sto^i till the stone 
Reveals thee its treasure, or tells thee there's none. 

Nor be thou disheartened, dismayed nor cast down. 
If success should decline thy first efibrts to crown ; 
Go ahead ! Go ahead ! Since creation began, 
" No wealth without toil," is the record to man. 

Old Mammon the sound of your coming hears. 
And, aroused from his sleep of a million years, 
He gazes around him, in wild surprise, 
As Mexican rule from the region flies. 

Now hie thee, old Mammon, far over the sea I 
Thy long-hidden treasure all scattered shall be ; 
For the hands that now grasp it, free, ai-dent and bold, 
AVill give to the world its lost millions of gold. 

Then away to the mines ! away to the mines ! 
AVhere the virgin gold in the crevice shines ; 
Where the shale and the slate and the quartz enfold. 
In their stony arms, the glittering gold ! 

A. II. K. 
San Francisco, Ilarch 22, 1850. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Locate in Sacramento City — The Sacramento Transcript — ■ 
First election in Sacramento — Three tickets in the field — 
Names of the city and county officers elected — Meeting of 
the Council-elect — Demas Strong chosen President — lie 
makes a speech — Adjourned meeting of Council — Mayor 
Bigelow's message read and accepted — First message of the 
first Mayor of Sacramento City. 

DuRiisTG the winter of 1849-'50, I made tlie 
acquaintance of Mr. George Kenyon Fitch, a prac- 
tical printer, from New Orleans, who arrived in 
San Francisco via Isthmus of Panama, in the 
month of September. Before leaving New Orleans, 
Mr. Fitch shipped, in a sailing vessel around Cape 
Horn, two presses, (a hand and card press,) types, 
ink, and some thirty reams of printing-paper, with 
the view of publishing a newspaper in California, 
on the arrival of the material. The invoice price 
of the paper, types and presses was $950, but when 
they arrived in San Francisco, in the early part of 
March, 1850, they were valued at $15,000, and 
could have been sold for that amount in coin, as 
printing material was very scarce, and "sorts" 
were worth their weight in gold ! Mr. Fitcli pro- 
j)0sed to five of the attaches of the Pacific Neivs — 
F. C. Ewer, H. S. Warren, J. M. Julian, Theodore 
RusseiPand S. C. Upham — the formation of a co- 

(275) 



27G THE "SACEAMENTO TRANSCEIPT." 

partnersliip, with a view to the joublication of a 
news2")a2:>er in Sacramento City. The proposition 
was accepted, articles of agreement executed, and 
we started at once for that j^lace. 

We arrived in Sacramento immediately after the 
great flood, which had inundated the town, and it 
was in a sadly demoralized condition. We rented 
the second floor of a frame building, on Second 
Street, between J and K Streets, and on the^rs^ 
day of Aijvil, 1850, the initial number of the tri- 
weekly Sacramento Transcript was issued by Fitch, 
Upliam & Co. It was printed on a folio sheet, in 
Brevier and Nonpareil type. A steamer edition, 
for circulation in the Atlantic States, was printed 
on the first of each month. The tri-wcekly sold 
at 12 2 cents a copy, and the steamer edition at 50 
cents a cojoy. Advertisements were inserted at $4 
per square, each insertion. The six copartners 
occupied the following positions on the paj^er : G. 
K. Fitch, heavy and fighting editor ; F. C. Ewer, 
literary editor ; H. S. Warren, foreman ; J. M. 
Julian, compositor; Theodore Kussell, pressman, 
and S. C. Upham, local reporter, printer's devil, 
business manager, "dead-head," etc. 

Sacramento City being in its infancy, in a 
chrysalis or state of transition, just emerging from 
its shell, hotel accommodations were limited. We 
lodged in the office, and obtained our meals at 
different places. I paid |1G a week for two meals 
a day at a French restaurant, on the levee, and 
slept on the soft side of the office counter, with a 
roll of paper for a pillow. 



" INTEODUCTOKY." 277 

Tlie object and aims of the Transcrijjt were fully 
set forth in the following " Introductory :" 

The opening of a new papei* is like the phmting of a tree. 
The hopes of many hearts cluster around it. The anxious 
mind labors over it by night and by day, and the watchful 
eye guards it, as, in its youth, it struggles into life. Encour- 
aging words and the helping hand of its friends fall like rain- 
drops around it, and the approving smile of the public steals 
in, like the sunshine, to open its buds. In the covert of its 
leaves all pure principles and high aims should find a home ; 
and from it invisible voices should rise forth from the nests of 
those pure principles, to delight, to warm and to instruct the 
world. Its shade should be free to all. It should reach forth 
its branches to shield the innocent from the pelting storm ; 
and, conscious of its fearless might, men should come to it for 
protection, and find refreshment in its shade. It should be 
nurtured by no unhealthy influences ; it should be propped up 
by no interested motives ; its growth should be free and unre- 
strained. Perchance it may wither in its youth, and no longer 
be the home of healthy influences. Perhaps it may be stricken 
in its manhood by the storm of adversity. Perchance it may 
flourish through the years and grow green ; but, of all dangers 
that assail it from without, the insidious influence of those who 
may cluster around it for their own jirivate ends is the most 
Avithering, and the most to be feared. A newspaper should 
never be used. It is too tremendous a lever to be brought to 
bear for any purpose, save the good of the public. 

Such is our ideal ; and Avith such an ideal before us, do we 
present ourselves before the public of Sacramento City. In 
politics, the Transcript will sedulously maintain an independ- 
ent course, endeavoring to do justice to both parties. In re- 
ligion, it will be neutral. We shall earnestly advocate such 
measures as we deem to be for the best interests of our city. 
"VVe shall urge the introduction of every class of improve- 
ments — shoot error as it flies, and watch for every injury that 
is stealiugjn upon us. We shall endeavor to present to our 
readers in Sacramento City and the mines, the news from the 



1278 A MOMENTOUS DAY. 

Pacific Coast, from the States, from Europe, from China and 
the Ishuuls of the Pacific. For our I'riends in San Francisco 
ami abroad, we shall collect the earliest intelligence from the 
mines. "Wo shall inform them of the condition of thing:3 iu 
California durinji; the successive stages of its rapid growth, and 
shall spare no labor or expense to give our sheet that variety 
and interest which an intelligent community demands. Every 
facility will bo extended to our advertising friends. So soon 
as the want of Sacramento will warrant it, we shall enlarge 
our sheet and issue our paper daily. 

A part of our columns will be devoted to literature, to criti- 
cism, poetry, and anything of the bclla^-lcttrcs cast. We have 
procured not only correspondents who will keep us advised of 
the latest intelligence from the mines, but several from San 
Francisco and the States, Avhose papers will bo of a lighter 
and more literary character. "NVe shall endeavor to give the 
Transcript an extensive circulation iu the placers. It will 
thus be a connecting link between tlie business and mining 
community ; furnishing merchants in San Francisco and Sac- 
ramento a convenient means for communication with the 
mines. 

Such are our aims, and to attain them we shall use our 
highest endeavors ; trusting, as we embark in the enterprise, 
that our Avell-meant efforts will meet with support from the 
known liberality of the inhabitants of the city of our adoption. 

The day on 'vvliicli the first number of the Tran- 
scrijH was published, in addition to being "All- 
fools' Dtn/,'* was election day iu Sacramento. It 
was the first election under the City Charter, and 
there were three tickets iu the field. Canyassing 
had been going on for several weeks previously, 
botii in tlie city and throughout the county, and 
an immense number of ballots and handbills 
had hccn circulated. The polls remained open 
uniil late in the eveniuir, and there were lively 




SPECIMEN ADVERTISEMENTS. 279 

times around the ballot-boxes. There was no 
rioting, but a great deal of superfluous gas was 
ventilated and considerable whisky drunk. The 
following political advertisements, published in the 
Transcr'qyt on the morning of the election, will 
serve to show the complexion of affairs : 



DEMOCRATIC NOMINATIONS. — In 
pursuaiico of a public cull, a meeting of 
Dcnincrnlic citizens was coTivencMl at tlie 
("ily lloicl, ill Sacramento < 'ity, on Monday 
i jri. is,iii, for tlio purpose of oi'uani/injj 
tlie Deinocralic I'arly, and nominalin^c a Ticlcet for 
City and County Olliccrs, to ))e sup]iorted at the en- 
suing election. John S. Fowler was called to the chair; 
J. P. Rogers, II. A. Slieldeu and Loriu rickering were 
chosen Vice I'residenis, and John K. Brown and Or- 
lando McKniglit a])iiointed Secretaries. 

Un uujlion, a connuittco of tliree was appointed by 
the chair to<lraft resolutions; wliereajjon L. Picker- 
ing, James McClatcliy. and J. K. Brown, were ap- 
pointed such comniitlee : 

On motion, a cominittee of fifteen was appointed by 
the chair to report a 'I'icket to be supported at the 
coming election for City and County (.)Hicers, and the 
following geutleinen constituted siu'h conunittcc: 

Wni. C. Kiblie, Jolm Ayres, Alex. Boyd, C. II. Cum- 
mings, James McClatcliy, James Orchard, D. B. Jlilnc, 

McCalla, Noulton, J. Sherwood, J. P. Thorp, 

Levi Ilermance, J. R. Riggs, Wm. S. Jackson, J. Dom- 
ing. 

The committee appointed to report a Ticket, having 
retired, reported the following— 

CITY TICKET. 

For Mayor— Thomas J. Henley. 

For City Reconler— Charles A. Johnson. 

For Marshal— N. C. Cunningham. 

For City Attorney- A. C. Monson. 

For Assessor- B. F. Moore. 

For Treasurer— Barton Lee. 

For Ciiv Couucil-John S. Fowler, J. Sherwood, R. 
W. Vansickle, Wni. B.aker, Wm. C. Kibbe, J. Hardcn- 
bcrgh, Orlando McKniglit, E. L. Brown, P.M. Dorsey. 

COUNTY TICKET. 

For Clerk Supreme Court— E. H. Tharp. 

District Attorney— John K. Brown. 

County Judge— Ansel J. McCall. 

County Clerk— Leaiuler Warren. 

County Attorney— Lewis Aldrieh. 

County Surveyijr- J. H. Dickerson. 

Sheriir— 

County Recorder— Lewis A. Birdsall. 

Coroner— P. F. Ewer. 

County Treasurer- Eugene F. Gillespie. 

County .\ssessor— L. P. Staflbrd. 
The Committee on Pa'solutious reported the follow- 
ing jireamble and ri'solutions : 

Wha-caa, a (iovernnient has been organized; a Con- 
stitution lulojiteil; and a new State already, or about 
to be admitted into the Union : and, wdicreas, through 
the proper aulliorities, a City ("barter has been ob- 
tained for this city, it becomes all tr\ie Itepnblicans to 
exert themselves in jn'ocuring wliolesome laws, and 
the siieeess of sound democratic v>rinciples— the only 
principles that cau secure a proper adumiistration of 
16 



280 SPECIMEN ADVERTISEMENTS. 



povemment and equal rights and privileges among 
tlio governed— iheii'loro, be it 

JicKiiInd, 'J'liat the organiziition of government cre- 
ates a necessity Un- llie (irgiini/.atioii ol' pnrtv. 

licitdtrnl, That tlie repulilicau ])riiu'iiiles laid down 
hy .TelVerson, llie Fallu'rot' Deniocracy, and tlie mea- 
sures Iliat liave eliaraeterizcd all denioeralie udniinis- 
trations, meet with our hearty approval and unquali- 
lled siipport. 

Jirsnlrid, That in 'Mnnieipal, fis well as State and 
Natifinal (iovernments, tile laws sliduM he so framed 
as to sei'ure equal rights to all, and special privileges 
to none. 

Jir.<olvc<I, That honest and honorable competition is 
the life of trade, and tliat we are opposed to fostering 
one branch of business at th.e expense of another, or 
Iniilding up one enterprise by taxing another: liut 
that we stand on the broad platform of " Free Trade 
and Sailors' Itights," 

Jirsohril, That the practice heretofore adopted, of 
taxing business instead of property, and ivliicli is still 
aiilliori:<(l III/ ffction Cilhoftlic Cili/'ClMiin-, is neither 
■wise nor democratic, hut that all revenue necessary to 
defrav the expenses of government should be collected 
by a (lirect tax, levied ujion property. 

licmlml, Tliat a fair and lilieral compensation on^/, 
be awarded to ollice holders lor their services, and nut 
such cni()/iaiinil.-< as iiuin inducr nil to become qtlkr seekers. 

Eesolred, That as it is never too so<,n to advocate 
democratic jirinciples, so it is vcver too earh/ to exer- 
cise our united elTorts in sectiring their triumi>li. 

Resolrrd, Tliat we now launch the goo(l old ship of 
Democracy— spread her canvas to the lnveze— nail her 
colors to the mast— and jiledge our united ellbrts to 
secure the triumphant election of the regularly nomi- 
nated Iiemocratic candidates. 

On motion, Levi Ilermance. Barton Lee, E W. Cro- 
vell, .^. W. tiregg, and J. F. Thorp, were constituted a 
Town Committee. 

On motion, The Town Committee were instructed 
to confer witli Democrats lliroughout the county for 
the purjiose of holding a (^>unty Convention and or- 
ganizing the Democratic parly tliroughout the county. 

On motion, the meeting adjourncil. 

JOHN y. FOWLER, Chairman. 

J, K. Brown, 1 i;p,.rptft,.ies 

Orl.\ndo MiKnigiit, J ^ctretaues. ^^ 



(;1TIZENS' MEETING.— At a spontane- 
ous assemblage of the citizens of t-'acra- 
'meuto City, hehl at the City Hotel, on 

>b)uday evening, the ll.'ith inst.. immedi- 
ately upon the adjonnmicnt of the self-constituted 
l)en"iocratic meeting, whereat an attempt was made to 
organize a Democratic party, I 'emas Strong was called 
to the chair, and Jos. \V. Winans appointed Secretary. 

After some alile and clo<iucnt addresses, in explana- 
tion of the object of the meeting, tlie following resolu- 
tions were unanimously adopte<l: 

Ixcsotvcd, That a committee of five he appointed to 
draft a series of resolutions, for ]>resenlation at a sub- 
sequent public meeting of the citizens of Sacramento 
City, of the time and place of holding which, public 
notice shall be given by the chairman. 

J^esolred. 'that Messrs. Nickerson, Nolan, Bullock, 
AVinans, and Warbass, constitute sui'h committee. 

}!esohrd. That the (hair lie added to such commit- 
tee as the ehairnian thereof. 

llesolved. That in the view of this meeting, any at- 
tempt at this time to ellcct a political organization, on 
party grounds, is TOTALLY INC.M.l.Kl) FoK, and 
that the meeting hehl this evening, prior to the i>resent 
meeting, did wit. and docs not represent the Democratic 
Party of Sacramento City, 

Hcsoh'cd, That Uie Democratic Kepublicans here as- 



SPECIMEN ADVERTISEMENTS. 281 



semblcd, protest aa;ainst the very i-.ai1ial proreedmgs 
of sail! iiiectini,'. as bciiii,' ciiutrary U> ])einiHTatic prin- 
ciples and usages, ami roeoiiuueiul tin- electors ot bac- 
raiueiito ("itv to give their I'raiiehise to such men as 
they may deem, most suitable to till the various oflices 
in tlieir gilt. „ , . x. i 

Ix'ruo.vcd, That the proceedings of this meeting do 
published in the "Placer Times" and "Sacramento 
Transcript." , ■,■ ^ 

On motion, the meeting was thereupon adjourned. 
DEMAS STRONG, Chairman. 

Jos. W. WiNANS, Secretary^ lt_ 

RANCIIEROS, TO THE RESCUE !-The 
.■neiny is in the field— our bills have been 
mutilated, and in some instances de- 

strovcd; but let not your " angry passions 

rise " in eonseciuenee of the indignity. Imitate as far 
as in your power lies the example of your leader. 
Keep cool, work hard and vote early. Remember that 
abuse and curses, like youn,^' chickens, ••wiUcorao 
home to roost." When once the votes are m the ballot 
boxes, no appeal can be taken. Hombues. 

RANCHO TICKET. 

T It R O U (i II BY daylight! 

For Jlayor-JOSEPII GRANT. 

For City Recorder— R. F. Washington. , „ „ , 

For Councilmen— T. McDowell, C. A. Tweed, Z. Hub- 
bard, diaries O. Brewster, E. J. Feeney, D. Strong, Dr. 
J. F. Morse, Dr. James S. Martin, Charles U. Miller. 

For City Marshal— M. D. Eyre. 

For City Attorney— A. C. Monson. 

For City Assessor— Wm. F. Prettyman. 

For City Treasurer- Barton Lee. 

RANCHO TICKET— For the County. 
" All'^ well tliat cndf! well." 

For Clerk of the Suprcnio Court— E. IT. Tharp. 

For District Attorney— William C. Wallace. 

For County Judge- Edward J. Willis. 

For County Clerk— Presley Dunlap. 

For County Attorney— John II. MeKune. 

For County Surveyor— Andrew J. Biiiney. 

For Sherid— Joseph D. Uiigoe, (better known as 
Johnny Ranclio.) 

For Comity Recorder- Thomas A. Warbass. 

For County Assessor— D. W. Thorpe. 

For Coroner— Henry F. Beadle. 

For County Treasurer- Wm. (ilaskin. It 

~7ifS=- CajJt. W. G. MARCY authorizes us to announce 
the with<lmwal of his name as candidate for the office 
of Clerk of the Supreme Court, in favor of E. H. 
THARP, Esq., the present Clerk. 

j8®- To THE Public. I am authorized to say to the 
friends of EUGENE F. GILLESPIE, that his business 
makes it impossible for him to run for or accept any 
office; at the same time he is gr.ateful to liis friends for 
their conndenco manifested by the nomination of him 
for Councilman and County Treasurer. 

A. M. WINN. 

Sacramento City, March 29. 1850. apllt 



The whole number of votes polled for Mayor was 
2,403, and Hardin BIgclow, the 2-»eoples' candidate, 
liad a majority over all others of o23. Tlie follow- 
ing is a list of the city and county officers elected, 



282 



THE OFFICEES ELECTED. 



with the nuinher of votes received by each can- 
didate : 



Mayor, Hardin Bigelow, 








1,521 


City Recorder, B. F. Washington, 








885 


" Marshal, N. C. Cunningham, 








1,323 


" Attorney, J. Neely Johnson, 








1,697 


" Assessor, J. W. Woodland, 








792 


" Treasurer, Barton Lee, . 








2,310 


" Council, C. A. Tweed, . 








1,629 


" V.Spalding, . 








1,621 


Demas Strong, . 








1,420 


" T. McDowell, . 








1,462 


" J. McKenzie, . 








1,182 


" C.H.Miller, . 








887 


"J. E. Hardenbergh, 








862 


" " Jesse Moore, 








869 


"A. P. Petit, 








804 


County Treasurer, William Glaskin, 






1,104 


.District Attorney, AVm. C. Wallace, 






2,011 


County " J. H. McKuue, . 






2,021 


" Judge, E. J. Willis, . 








1,818 


" Clerk, Presley Dunlap, 








1,567 


" Recorder, L. A. Birdsall, 








714 


" Sheriff, J. McKiuney, . 








619 


" Surveyor, J. G. Cleal, . 








1,152 


" Assessor, D. W. Thorp, 








1,224 


" Coroner, P. F. Ewer, . 








579 


Clerk Supreme Court, E. H. Tharp, 








1,313 



A meeting of the Council elect was held at the 
Court-house, on the morning of the 4th of April, 
and, on motion of Jesse IMoore, C. A. Tweed was 
called to the chair, as President j!??'0 tcm., and on 
motion of Volney Spaulding, Chas. H. Miller was 
requested to act as Secretary joro tcm. On motion 
of Demas Strong, the members of the Council pro- 



THE COUNCIL ORGANIZED. 283 

ceeded to the election of President of that body. 
Mr. Demas Strong having received a majority of 
the votes was dechired duly elected President of the 
Council, and, after being conducted to the chair by 
a committee, returned thanks for the honor con- 
ferred on him in a brief but appropriate address. 
A committee was also a^^pointed to wait upon the 
Hon. Hardin Bigelow, Mayor-elect, and inform 
him that the Council was duly organized, and 
ready to receive any communication he might think 
proj)er to make. The Mayor appeared before the 
Council and delivered a short and pertinent address. 
The Council then adjourned to meet on the follow- 
ing day at ten o'clock, A. M. The Council met 
the next day pursuant to adjournment, and a mes- 
sage from his Honor, the Mayor, was read, accepted 
and referred to a select committee. The regular 
meetings of the board w^ere ordered to be held on 
Tuesday evening of each week, at seven o'clock, at 
the Court-house; and the board then adjourned. 
The following is the first message of the first 
Mayor of Sacramento City : 

To THE Honorable the President and Council of 

Sacramento City : 

Gentlemen : — In compliance ■with a duty imposed upon 
me by our City Charter, I respectfully submit the following for 
your consideration. 

The first great and paramount object to be accomplished the 
present year, and one which involves the deepest interest of 
the citizens of Sacramento City, is the immediate construction 
of a levee, to protect permanently the city from future inunda- 
tion by water. By the 7th section of the Charter, the city is 



284 THE FIKST mayor's FIRST MESSAGE. 

restrained from raising a revenue to exceed $100,000 for the 
current expenses of the year, without direct authority from the 
people. 

I, therefore, respectfully recommend the immediate passage 
of an order in Council directing an election at an early date to 
raise the necessary revenue for the completion of the work. 
The estimated amount of material required for the entire 
work, ascertained by the late survey of the City Engineer, 
is about IGOjOOO cubic yards, and the estimated cost $250,000. 
This sum, I believe, wall exceed the actual cost of the work, 
but it is far safer to raise more than is required than not 
enough. 

I would further recommend that a cheap railway track be 
laid along the levee or bank of the river, and the material 
brought from more distant points where it can be obtained of 
a better quality and at a cheaper rate. Such a track along 
the levee, of not over two miles in length, will not interfere 
with the business on the levee, and will afford the most ready 
and cheaj) conveyance of material to fill up the low places in 
the city. 

I would recommend also that the present banks of the river 
be not disturbed, as they are bold and easy of access, and form 
a far more permanent barrier to the action of the water than 
the finances of the city will allow to be made the present year 
without rendering taxation at once onerous and oppressive. 
The grading and paving of the levee is a work that can be 
accomplished at a later period, Avhen our population and tax- 
able property shall have greatly increased, and as the necessity 
may arise. 

Few, if any, of the commercial points along the margins of 
our great and navigable rivers present less obstacles to the 
complete success of a city than that of Sacramento, occupying, 
as it does, the most elevated position upon the banks of the 
Sacramento River above Suisun Bay, being at the immediate 
head of shiji-navigation, and controlling nearly three-fourths 
of all the gold region of California — with no evident marks of 
periodical inundation, but subject only to those occasional and 
violent convulsions of water that occur in all countries, and 



TIMELY SUGGESTIONS. 285 

which haA^e been more destructive upon the north-western 
Pacific Coast the present year than ever before known. But 
an embankment averaging two and a half feet in height along 
the bank of the river, or a levee, with a fifty-foot base, and a 
dike or embankment from the levee or high ground in the 
southern part of the city of about one mile in length, and 
the filling of two or three inlets from the American River, 
would have completely protected the city from the late un- 
usual high water, and the consequent loss to the citizens. 
The necessity of an early commencement of the work is 
apparent from the fact that the material becomes very hard 
and compact in the extreme drought of the latter part of the 
season. 

The three small lakes that will be included within the limits 
of the levee are of the utmost importance to the city, as they 
form natural depositories for the surplus water that may accu- 
mulate within the city limits during the winter or rainy season, 
or that may find its way through any porous strata during the 
high water. 

The whole limit of the present corporation should be included 
within the levee, for there cannot be a doubt but the Avhole 
area will soon be covered with buildings, in view of the 
commanding position of Sacramento, and its relation to a 
constantly-increasing mining region, capable of sustaining a 
population of five millions by its mining and agricultural 
resources. 

I would recommend that the fund raised for this object be 
raised as a separate and distinct fund from the other expenses 
of the city. 

I would further recommend the establishment of such regu- 
lations upon the present levee as will best promote the interest 
of the business community and yield the greatest revenue to 
the city. The regulations as adopted upon the levee in the 
different municipalities of New Orleans, would, I think, be 
very applicable to this city. It will be necessary to have some 
wharf-ships, anchored at convenient places, for steamboat and 
passenger landings, under suitable rates of wharfage. 

The practice of keeping powder and loaded guns in stores 



286 TIMELY SUGGESTIONS. 

and tents, generally, is one that requires immediate remedy. 
The accident that occurred at the late fire by the discharge of 
a loaded gun, and the constant explosions of powder that occur 
at every fire, will soon drive the citizens from saving the pro- 
perty of their neighbors during a fire, as their own lives are 
in danger. 

I would, therefore, recommend the licensing of certain es- 
tablishments, in safe locations, for the sale of powder, and the 
restraining of others. 

And I especially recommend liberal appropriations for the 
establishment of fire companies ; and that every aid and en- 
couragement consistent be given said companies, as the only 
security to property in a city Avithout insurance is in a well- 
organized fire department. 

I would further recommend to the early attention of the 
Council the adoption of immediate measures for the removal 
of the deposit of animal matter and other nuisances within the 
limits of the city proper, and that a sum of $5,000 be loaned 
for this and other purposes so essential to the health and credit 
of the city. 

The necessity will arise in due time, or as soon as the finances 
of the city will permit, for the erection of a City Hospital, to 
be supported by the city. Such institutions are the just pride 
of Americans in all our cities. Any regulations which may 
now be in existence for the cai^ of the jDoor, should receive 
liberal support from the city. 

The necessity for establishing a City Prison Avill soon arise, 
unless one should be established by the county which will 
answer both purposes. One can be obtained at very small 
expense, as a foi'eign vessel can be purchased below very 
cheap, which the Collector will permit to come U]) to this 
place for that purpose. 

In regard to the various offices within your gift, I would 
recommend the appointment of honest and capable men, and 
hold them to the strictest accountabilities, and that the most 
rigid economy be practiced in all the departments of the city 
government. 

I would also recommend that just and uniform assessments 



TIMELY SUGGESTIONS. 287 

be made upon real and personal property as the basis of tax- 
ation, with such incidental taxation as the circumstances and 
Avants of the city may require; and that such assessments 
and levy of taxes be made quarterly during the current year, 
in order to make the burden of the people as light as pos- 
sible, meet the rapid increase of real and personal prop- 
erty, and more justly equalize taxation. The stranger that 
may arrive six months hence with his capital is as much 
to be benefited by the improvements of the city as the present 
citizen. When the assessment-roll is once made out, it will 
require but little additional expense to correct it once in three 
months, 

I am unable to ascertain the exact liabilities of the city ; 
but, from the best information I am able to obtain, they will 
amount to $60,000, and no accruing revenue whatever. This 
sum, together wath the current expenses of the year, cannot be 
less than one hundred and sixty thousand (160,000) dollars. 
All just liabilities of the city should, by all means, be paid, 
and at as early a date as the city finances will allow. I have 
no doubt that the sum authorized by the Charter, with such 
incidental revenue as can be created, will be ample and suffi- 
cient for the current expenses of the year and the payment of 
present liabilities. The only sum necessary to be raised by a 
vote of the people will be for the levee. 

It will require much patriotism and forbearance on the part 
of the people to meet the accruing wants of the city the coming 
year. I believe, however, the sum can be raised so as not to 
be oppressive, 

I would especially recommend to the Council that every 
aid, consistent with their authority and the finances of the 
city, be given to public schools. 

There are other very necessary and important improvements 
to be made in the city, such as the grubbing and grading of 
the streets, the building of bridges and sidewalks, and the 
erection of a market-house ; all of which will claim your 
attention in due time ; but our present embarrassments and 
limited authority for raising money admonish us not to under- 
take too much. 



288 TIMELY SUGGESTIONS. 

I believe, however, that a just, energetic and economical 
course ou our part, which will command the confidence and 
respect of the people, will insure a sufficient revenue for all 
practical and beneficial purposes. 

HARDIN BIGELOW, 

Mayor of the City. 
Sacramento City, April 6th, 1850. 



CHAPTEE XVII. 

First conflagration in Sacramento City — Amount of property 
destroyed — Collation given to the fire department by IMayor 
Bigelow — Henri Hcrz, the French composer and pianist — 
His concerts in Sacramento City — First negro minstrel per- 
formance in Sacramento — Rowe's Olympic Circus — Grand 
soiree — Rival politicians — First meeting of the I. O. of 
O. F. in Sacramento City — The Masons and Odd Fellows 
establish a hospital — Sutter Lodge of Ancient York Masons 
— Private hospitals — First public marriage in Sacramento — 
The Placer Times — Colonel Joseph E. Lawrence. 

At one o'clock, on the morning of the 4th of 
April, the citizens of Sacramento City were aroused 
from their slumbers by the appalling cry of "fire!" 
The fire commenced in the store of Messrs. Hoope & 
L'Amoreux, and spread rapidly north and south. 
The buildings consumed fronted on the levee, be- 
tween J and K Streets. The El Dorado, adjoining 
the store of Hoope & L'Amoreux on the north, 
soon caught and was enveloped in a sheet of flame. 
At the same time, the next store to the south, in 
which was the Express Ofiice of Brown & Knowl- 
ton, caught and was speedily consumed. The wind 
was blowing from the north at the time, and 
Fowler & Co.'s store next became a prey to the 
conflagration. The fire also spread in a northerly 
direction from the El Dorado to the general mer- 
chandise store of Bailey, Morrison & Co. ; nor was 

(289) 



290 FIKST FIRE IN SACRAMENTO. 

its course staved in tins direction until the next 
building, occupied by Thomas Bannister as a general 
grocery and eating-house, had been consumed; "while 
at the same time, at the south from Messrs. Fowler & 
Co.'s store, the fire j)assed to the General Jackson 
House, which was entirely destroyed. Here the 
progress of the flames w^as arrested ; the drug store 
of Dr. Crane, the next building toward the south, 
having been torn down. jMessrs. Jackson & Adams 
occupied a canvas house in the rear of Hoope & 
L'Amoreux's building, which was also consumed. 

The loss sustained by Thomas Bannister was 
12,000; Bailey, Morrison & Co., $5,000; El Dorado, 
owned by Geo. H. Pettybone, $14,000; James 
Hyslop, $;],000; Iloope & L'Amoreux, |20,000, 
together with the loss of books and papers ; Mr. 
Yates Ferguson had also in this store $2,000 worth 
of goods and $1,000 in gold-dust; the books, 
drugs and instruments of Dr. Chas. Burrell burned 
were valued at $1,000; stock of provisions in 
Jackson & Adams's canvas house, $2,000 ; Messrs. 
Fowler & Co., $10,000 ; Frank Green, $000. A 
large amount of property was saved by Mr. Demas 
Strong, aided by the fire department. Both the 
engine and hook and ladder company were upon 
the field early and worked manfully. The hook 
and ladder company did good service in hauling 
away buildings that must have otherwise been the 
cause of spreading the conflagration, and the engine 
company spared no pains or labor to make their 
engine as effective as possible. There were several 
exjilosions of j^owder during the fire. A loaded 



COLLATION TO THE FIEEMEIf. 291 

gun ill one of the burning houses exploded, wound- 
ing Jos. M. Hancock in the hand. 

After the fire, the members of the fire department 
were invited, with their friends, by Mayor Bigelow, 
to repair to the City Hotel, Avhere a collation was 
spread for them on the long table, which reached 
from one end of the dining-room to the other. 
After having fortified the inner man, toasts were 
offered and brief speeches made by Messrs. Bigelow, 
Strong, Fowler, McNulty, Bailey and others, and 
the comj^any adjourned in much better s^^irits than 
when fighting the fire. 

On the day of the fire, before the ashes were cold 
on the site of the General Jackson House, Frank 
Green cleaned away the rubbish and erected a 
frame 22 by 23 feet, which he covered with canvas, 
and before night had his bar fully su23plied w^ith 
liquors, which he dispensed to the thirsty crowd at 
50 cents a drink ! 

Henri Herz, the celebrated composer and pianist, 
who arrived in San Francisco on the 1st of April, 
gave the first of a series of three concerts in Sacra- 
mento City, on the evening of the IGtli of the same 
month, at the New Hall, corner of M and Front 
Streets. The following announcement of the affair 
aj)peared in the Transcript : 



^■^HE Composer and Pianist, H. 

HERZ will give his first Grand Concert, 
vocal and instrumental, at the New HaU, corner of 
M and Front street, on 

THIS EVENING, April 16, 
On which occasion Henri Hcrz will play several of his 
most celebrated pic<'es, and conrUiilo the Concert with 
an extemporaneous pcrlonnan<H' mi several American, 
ITrench, Italian and (iernian pdjiular sonsis. 
Mr. KEED will sing several of his fa\-orite ballads. 



292 HENRI HERZ'S CONCERTS. 



Jlr. S. BROWN will perform two solos on the Cornet- 
a-Piston. 

G. PETINOS will preside at the Piano Forte. 

Mr. HKI;Z, at the earnest solicitation of many of our 
citizens, has asri'i'(l to jiivi' tlircc c<inccits in Sacramen- 
to City, previous lo his departure by tlie next steamer. 

For" further particulars, see small bills. 

Tickets for the course, (three concerts,") SIO; single 
tickets, S-t each ;— tu be procured at tlie bars of the .Sut- 
ter and City Hotels; at the office of the " Transcript," 
and at the door. 

Doors open at 7 — concert to commence at 8 o'clock. 
apl6-lt 



Tlie concert came off on the evening announced, 
but o^Ying to the absence of Mr. Brown, who was 
engaged to perform two solos on the cornet-a-piston, 
the programme was somewhat curtailed. The piano 
used on the occasion, the only one in the city, con- 
tained only six octaves, which somewhat cramped 
the genius of the great master, but he gave an ad- 
mirable entertainment, nevertheless, and the audi- 
ence was delighted. As tickets of admission were 
$4 each, and no one was admitted without a "biled 
shirt," the audience Avas not large, but very select. 
At the conclusion of the concert, Mr. Herz and 
several of the audience repaired, by invitation, to 
the cottage of Mr. P. B. Cornwall, where they 
"tripped the liglit fantastic toe" until a late hour. 
Mr. Cornwall, during a residence of eighteen months 
in California, had amassed a fortune of half a mil- 
lion dollars, and was on the eve of his departure for 
the States. During the evening, Mr. Cornwall 
presented to Mr. Herz a magnificent gold watch- 
chain, composed entirely of specimens artistically 
linked together. At the remaining two concerts, 
Mr. Herz was assisted by Mr. S. C. Massett, "who 
was announced on the programme as follows: "The 
celebrated vocalist, S. C. Massett, "will sing several 



THEATRES AND SERENADERS. 293 

songs and ballads, and give comic recitations, to- 
gether with imitations illustrative of the peculiari- 
ties of Yankee character." 

I will here state, that the first regular theatrical 
entertainment in California was given in Sacra- 
mento City, on October 18th, 1849, at the Eagle 
Theatre, on Front Street, between I and J Streets, 
by the following company : Messrs. J. B. Atwater, 
J. H. McCabe, T. Fairchild, Chas. B. Price, H. F. 
Daley, Henry Bay, A. W. Wright, J. Haines and 
Mrs. Bay. The Eagle Theatre, a frail structure, 
closed never to open again on the 4tli of January, 
1850, and was succeeded by the Teliama Theatre, 
under the management of Mrs. J. C. Kirby, an 
accomplished and talented actress, and widow of 
"wake me up when Kirby dies" Kirby. Attached 
to the Tehama company were Mesdames Hambleton, 
Mestayer and Bingham, and Messrs. Atwater, Fair- 
child, McCloskey, Bingham, Byers and Downie. 
Mr. and Mrs. Hambleton were both accomplished 
artistes; Mr. Hambleton was a fine comedian, "a 
fellow of infinite jest," and he could also play tragic 
characters in an acceptable manner. 

On the 23d of April, 1850, '' DonnelhJ s Ethio- 
pian Serenders^' gave their first entertainment at 
the New Hall, corner of Front and M Streets, being 
i\\Q first exhibition of Ethiopian Minstrelsy given in 
Sacramento City. The ])vicQ of admission was $2, 
and the house was crowded. The following an- 
nouncement was published in the Transcript of 
April 20: 



294 EOWE's OLYMPIC CIKCUS. 



DONNELLY'S 

iEthiopian Serenaders. 

]YTES811S. DOXA^ELLY, (formerly 

-'-'-'- of Cliristy's Minstrels,) 

WARD, STErnKXS, 

KITTS, NESBKT, 

Respectfully announce to the public tluit theywill 
give a series of Entertainments at the Acio lluit, (ad- 
joining the new Theatre,) corner of M and Front 
streets, commencing TUESDAY EVENING, the 23d 
inst. 

Admission. ?i!— tickets can be procured at the bars 
of the priniipal Hotels, also at the office of the Tran- 
script, and at the door. 

Front seats reserved for ladies. 

Doors open at 7 o'clock — performance to commence 
at S o'clock precisely. ap'J0-2t 



On the evening of May 2d, Mr. J. A. Rowe opened 
his Ohjmjnc Circus, the first circus in Sacramento 
City, at the new Pacific Theatre on M Street, with 
the following programme : 



RoTire's Olympic Circus, 

At the New Pacific Theatre, on M street. 

"j" A. EOWE, Proprietor and Man- 

^^ * agcr, has tlie lionor to announce to the 
citizens of Sacramento City, that his arrangements are 
at length completed for the opening of a new and ele- 
gant building devoted to feats of Horsemanship. He 
I'elies ■with contidenco on the liberal support of the 
admirers of the Eiiuestrian art. assuring the public 
that nothing shall be wanting on his part to win their 
approbation. 

Equestrian Director. 'Mr. J. Rowe : Ring Master. Mr. 
Westcott; Clown, Mr. Moor; Leader of the Orchestra, 
Mr. Smithsnvder. 

PEOGRASiME for TITI^ EVKXTXG. J/n?/ 2ff.— The 
performance will conimonce witli an Overture from 
William Tell, performed by the Orchestra; followed 
by a Grand Star and Waltz'Entrcc, on .'^ix horses, led 
by Mr. and Sirs. Kowc, embracing a variety of rapid 
evolutions. After which. Mr. Kowe will dance nis 
celebrated Dancing Horse "Adonis," to the favorite 
tune of Yankee Doodle. To bo followed by an act of 
horsemaiisliip by the hittlc KisingStar. Ma.ster Rafael, 
a pupil of Mr. Kowe's, who will execute liis daring 
Equestrian Feats, Leaping Whip, Garters, Hoops, 
riding upon his head, with the horse at full speed. 
Mr. Rowe will then introduce his celebrated domestic 
Horse Adonis, in the beautiful scene of the Indian 
Hunter, and his Wild Charger. Mr. lUirke will sing 
an Irish Comic Song, " You may travel the wide world 
over." Mr. Rowe will appear in the circle and go 
through his principal Leaping .\ct, on his favorite 
charger, leaping a variety of ditlicult objects held over 
the circle, disnlaying many classical attitudes, with 
his horse at full speed. At this period of the perform- 
ance there will be an intermission of ten minutes, 
giving the audience an opportunity of refreshing 



THE GRAND SOIEEE. 295 



themselves nt the adjoining saloons. Part II.— Dr. 
Downs will iuti'oihu'c ilio laugluiblo -scene of the Peas- 
ant'.? Frolic, in whicli tlie Clown will take an active 
part on the n(il)lc li(ir.-<e Napoleon. Mr. Burke will 
dance a Sailor's Ilnrnpipe. Mr. Rowe will represent 
on horseback tlie nnuli admired scene of the Ameri- 
can Tar. Intcruiissiiiu of liftccu minutes in order to 
give time for the vreiiaratimi of tlie Afterpiece. The 
whole to concluilc vrilh the very lauf^halile pantomime 
of The Cobhirr's Dauglikr. Clown to the whole perform- 
ance, Mr. Moor. 

The Assistant Manager, Mr. ICirbey, with sufficient 
officers, will be in attendance to keep order and de- 
corum. 

Price of Admission.— VrvjfiXQ boxes |5; dress circle 
and parquette, $=3 ; .second tier, ^2. 

Doors open at half past seven, and performance to 
commence precisely at S o'clock. 

Tickets and private lioxes can be obtained by apply- 
ing at tlie box office from 10 A. u. to 12 si., and from 3 
to 5 P. M. ; also during the performance. m2 

The completion of the new Pacific Theatre was 
celebrated by a grand ball, which came off at the 
theatre on the evening of the 25th of April, and 
was the grandest affair of its kind that had ever 
taken place in California. In order to make the 
event more attractive, invitations were extended to 
ladies residing in San Francisco and Stockton, 
several of whom were present. The following an- 
nouncement of the Grand Soiree appeared in the 
advertising columns of the Transcript: 

J^£3= At a meeting of a number of citizens of Sacra- 
mento City, tlie following gentlemen were constituted 
Managers of a (iraiid Soiree to be pven in honor of 
the erection and opening of the Pacific Theatre: 

Hon. Hardin Biqclow, Capt. Sackett, 

" T. J. White, M. D., Job H. Watson, 
" P. B. Cornwall, S. Brannan, 

Barton Lee, Almarin B. Paul, 

Judge Schoolcraft, J. F. Morse, 

Judge Thomas, Thomas A. Warbass, 

Eugene F. Gillespie, J. A. Blossom, 

C. D. Cleveland, M. D., A. Lee, 

Col. Winn, B. F. Washington, 

S. P. Dewey, D. Strong, 

A. P. Petit, P. Brunell, 

J. H. Giles, G. B. Freeland, 

F. C. Fwer, J. Nicliolas, 

Col. H. A. Baker, T. JMcDowell, 

R. P. Pearis, M. D., E. R. Pratt, 

James Queen, W. F. PrettjTaan, 

Murray Morrison, I. B. JIarshall, 

J. S. Fowler, R. D. Tory. 

JeES' At a meeting of tlie IManagers of the Grand 
Sdlree, held at the counting room of Messrs. Paul, 
White & Co., Dr. Thomas J. White was called to the 
17 



296 THE GRAND SOIREE. 



olmir, nnil Ai.martn n. Tat'I, appointed Secretary. 
Tlie iiK'c'iiiif,' ))c'iiiK(liily orKiuii/.cil Uio I'uUowiiig reso- 
lutions were oll'enil mid iulu|ilcil : 

1st. licsolvcd, '11ml this i)arty shall be given on the 
25111 ol Ai)ril. 

2(1. licsoli'id, That the President shall appoint such 
persons as lie may deem .suitable to act on the follow- 
ing eonnnitlees: 

1st. Iteceiition and Invitation. 
2d. I'Moor. 

lid. On Kefreshnicnts. 
'Itli. On I'Miiance. 
Jud^e Sclioolcralt being enllcd upon to perform this 
duty, rejiorled Ihe lollnwiiig : 

('oniiiiillir III' Invitation and Rrccplion. 
Hon. Hardin liigelow, Murray Morrison, 

" T., I. White, K. r. I'earis, M. D., 

P. C. lOwer, Col. II. A. liala-r, 

Jolm S. Fowler, C. J). Cleveland, M. D., 

J. II. Giles, K. 1). Tory. 

Moor Commiliir. 
Judge Thomas, Almarin B. Paul, 

(i. It. I'^reeliuid, Thomas A. Warbass, 

F. C. Kncr, (i. P. Dewey, 

A. P. I'elil, \V. F. Prcltyman. 

Refreshment Commiitre. 
D. Strong, James (.^uoen, 

B. F. Wasliington, CajH, Sackelt, 
J. Nicholas, E. U. Pratt, 

J. A. niossom. 
Committee on Finance. 
Eugene Gillespie, Barton Leo, 

J. F. Mor,-c, Col. Winn, 

B. Brunell, Judge Schoolcraft, 

A. Lcc. 

8d. Bennhrd. 'I'liat the duties of each committee bo 
delhicd, and that the Secretary shall notify them of 
llu' Minu'. 

■nil. i;<>!i>hrd, 'I'hat the Secretary be empowered to 
fill all vncancii'S. 

nth. Jyesdirrd, 'f hat the various committees be under 
the control of the managers, as a Committee of the 
Whole. 

(jlli. Resolved, That the managers meet at the Saloon 
of llie Theatre, to receive tlie reports of the various 
conuniltees on Monday Evening, 'J'Jd inst., at half past 
7 o'clock. 

7lli. J.'eKolved, That the proceedings bo published in 
the .several city papers, anil tliat the meeting nuw ad- 
journ. T. J. WHITE, I'resident. 

Ai.MAniN B. Paxti., Secretary. ^___ ]t_ 

Grand Soiree. 

HrjT" At a nu'cling of the l\lanngers of the Grand 
Soiree, liolden at the f^aloon of the Pacilic '1 lieatre, on 
tlie afternoon of the lUtli inst., the following resolu- 
tions were adopted : 

1st. J\e:!i)!v(d, 'I hut tickets of admission be issued to 
ladies as wi'U as to gentlcincii, and that the gentlemen 
be required to present tlicin as well as their own, at 
the iloor on the evening of the Soiree. 

L'd. li'iralrrd. 'I'lint gentlemen desiring tickets will 
npi>ly fur them to the Committee of invitation, through 
the secieliiry. 

!id. Jicsolved, 'i'hat the price of admission tickets bo 
825. AbMAUIN B. PAUL, See'y. 



Comwiller of InvitiUion and liecention 

For Ihetirand Soiree to be given on the evening of 

tlie 2.'>th April, at the Pacific Theatre. 

HON. UAHKIN lUOKLOW, MruUAV MOIIIUSON, 

" T. .1. WHirK, R. A. I'|;A1;1S, M. D,, 

r. r. KWI.I!, fOI,. W. A. l!AKi:i!, 

JOHN S. IdWI.ICK, C. 11. Cl.KVr.UAND. JI. D., 

J. 11. C.II.KS, Al.MAUlN B. I'AUL. 

ap20-3t • 



A COUNCILMAN RESIGNS. 297 

Sacramento City put on her best bib and tucker 
in lionor of this affair. The parquette of the theatre 
was floored over, a fine band of music engaged, and 
a magnificent supj)er was served for the occasion 
under tlie supervision of Mr. John S. Fowler, pro- 
prietor of the City Hotel. Dancing was continued 
until the " wee small hours," and many of the 
participants "didn't go home till morning, till day- 
light did appear." Mr. E. C. Kemble, one of the 
editors of the AUa Calif oimia, came up from San 
Francisco to attend the soiree, but on examining 
his apparel, found that his pantaloons were a little 
too seedy to pass regulation muster. His " biled 
shirt " and swallow-tail coat were unexceptionable, 
and to complete his tout eiisemhle, I loaned him my 
best black cassimeres, which had been laid away 
in lavender since leaving Philadelphia. The fit 
was a tight one; so tight in fact, that a sudden 
attempt to sit down would have caused an irrepar- 
able collapse of the fabric in a very undesirable and 
embarrassing quarter; but luck favored him, and 
he passed the ordeal without accident to the pants. 

Mr. Charles H. Miller, one of the city fathers 
elected on the 1st of April, upon "sober second 
thought," declined the honor conferred upon him, 
and an election to fill the vacancy was ordered by 
the President of Common Council, to take place on 
the 21st of May. The following patriots, anxious 
to serve their country, announced themselves as 
candidates for the office. The cards of the two 
Aeronauts, and that of A. D. Bell, are decidedly 
unique : 



298 ELECTION AND RESULT. 



KS" Wc nrc authorized to announce Pr. T.J. WIIITE 
as a ciuuliUato for a seat in the Cominou Council, in 
the phico ofC. H. Miller, resigned. mll-St 

lil^- C.VNl)in.\TK FOR TMl', CoJlMON COI'NCIL.— The 

many friends of J.VME."^ CJUKKN, Esq., propose his 
name to the voters of Sacramento as a candidate for a 
.seat in the Common (.'ouneil to till the vacancy of Chas. 

II. Miller, Es(j., resigned. 

IW NoTici;.— The undersigned liaving been pre- 
sented to the public a.s a candidate to liU the vacancy 
in tlie City (^)uncil. resiiectfuUy solicits tlie considera- 
tion of those of his friends who think Inm -worthy of 
their support. JAMES QUEEN. 

Klei'tion on Tuesday, May 21st. 4t__ 

At the solicitation of individuals who have 
the good of Sacramento City at heart, Doct. 
CiiAULivS n. MoRitiLL, formcrly-&oHa(;/in the 
States, (a permanent resident liere.) is a can- 
didate to till the vnt'ancy in the Council, oc- 
casioned liy the resignation of C. II. Miller, 
Election to take place on the lilst instant. 

mil 4t 




At the solicitation of my wife Nancy, 
who has the good ot herself at heart, and 
(^rj)?'/ intcrosicil in the successful t'ultiva- 
tiou of mutton-lieads, A. D. Bki.l, who has 
n\aile several descents in a diving bell, 
and late one of the //'>a?/H,'7 pojiulationof 
tliis (uiiiaiic city, is a candidate for the City 
Council at the election to take place on the 21st inst. 

It* 



At the earnest .solicitation of numerous friends who 
cherish a lively interest in th(> welfare of Sacramento 
City. ,1. V. liVKKN, formerly .KmiKtiit of Cincinnati in 
tlie I'nited States, i and now pernmnently located here,) 
anncunices liiniself as a candidate for" a seat in the 
Council. Election to take place on Tuesday, (this 
day) the 21st inst. 



The election came oif as announced with the fol- 
lowing result : 

James Queen, 1,008 

W. N. Doughty, 571 

T.J. White, 337 

an. Morrill, 36 

A.D.Bdl, 1 

Bejectcd as illegal, , 4 

"Whole number of votes polled, .... 1,957 

Queen's plurality, 437 

" majority, 59 



I. O. O. F. AND A. Y. M. HOSPITAL. 299 

Queen was triumphant, and the Aeronauts went 
uj) in a balloon ! 

On the evening of April 4tli, the members of the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in Sacramento 
City, met in the Court-house, A. M. Winn, Pres- 
ident of the Odd Fellows Association, in the chair. 
The chairman having explained the object of the 
meeting, a committee of five, with proper credentials, 
was appointed to apply to Lieutenant Fraser, D. D. 
Grand Sire for the State of California, requesting him 
to visit Sacramento and formally establish a lodge. 
About the same time, the Odd Fellows, in connection 
with the Masons, established a hospital, the board of 
trustees being elected by both orders. A series of 
concerts were given for the benefit of the hospital, 
which were liberally patronized. The managers of 
the Tehama Theatre and Rowe's Olmyinc Circus 
also gave benefits for the same object. The follow- 
ing card of thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Kowe and the 
opening address delivered on the night of the 
benefit, by its author, Francis N. McCron, were 
published in the Transcript : 

To the Editors of the Transcript : 

Gentlemen: — Will you have the kindness to give pub- 
lication to our acknowledgment of the liberal and huuiane 
conduct of Mr. Rowe, as manifested in the benefit which he 
recently gave to the Masons' and Odd Fellows' Hospital. It 
is due to that gentlemen and the persons composing his com- 
pany to say, that they all refused to deduct anything from the 
proceeds of the evening, for their own services ; and the interest 
that this gentleman exhibited in making the house a good one 
gives him a strong claim upon the members of these orders 
for a liberal reciprocal jiatronage and support. 



300 THE OPENING ADDRESS. 

Wc return Mr. and Mrs. Rowe, and all the individuals 
composing the Olympic Circus, our sincere thanks for the 
benefit we have received, through the efficient proceeds of 
their house on the IGth inst. We also reiterate our thanks to 
the gentlemen of the two papers for gratuitous advertisements. 
Truly, yours, 

J. F. Morse, 
Secretary of Board of Trustees. 

Sacramento City, May 19th, 1850. 
Mr. McCron, Dear Sir : — The Board of Trustees of the 
Masons' and Odd Fellows' Hospital, having been highly grat- 
ified with the very appropriate and interesting address which 
you prepared and delivered with so much felicity at their re- 
cent benefit given them by Mr. and Mrs. Rowe, beg the favor 
of a copy of the same for publication. 
Yours, truly, 

J. F. Morse, 
Secretary of Board of Trustees. 

John F. Morse, Esq., Dear Sir: — Your kind note, in the 
name of the Board of Trustees of the Masonic and Odd Fellows' 
Hospital, requesting a copy of my poor address prepared and 
delivered by me at the Pacific Theatre, on the occasion of 
benefit in aid of the funds of above-named establishment, is 
truly flattering. Enclosed, I send a copy. And allow me to 
remain, my dear sir, yours resjiectfully, 

Francis N. McCron. 
Sacramento City, 3Iay 18th. 

OPENING ADDRESS. 

Can the striped banner, or the stars of State, 
That on the brave, or on the vicious wait, 
Su(;h cml)loms with such emphasis impart, 
As an insignium near the Mason's heart! 
Hail, Sacred Masonry ! of source Divine, 
Unerring mistress of the faultless Line : 
Whose Plumb of Truth, with never-fiiiling sway, 
Makes the joined parts of symmetry obey. 



SUTTER LODGE, A. Y. M. 301 

Hail to the craft, at whose serene command 

The gentle arts in glad obedience stand ; 

Whose magic stroke bids fell confusion cease, 

And to the finished orders yield its place — 

Who calls creation from the womb of earth, 

And gives imperial cities glorious birth! 

To works of art her merits not confined, 

She regulates the morals, squares the mind — 

Corrects with care the tempest-working soul. 

And points the tide of passions where to roll. 

On Virtue's tablets marks each sacred rule. 

And forms her Lodge an universal school, 

Where Nature's mystic laws unfolded stand, 

And sense and science joined, go hand in hand. 

Oh, may her social rules instructive spread. 

Till Truth erects her long-neglected head — 

Till through deceitful night she darts her ray. 

And beams full glorious in the blaze of day — 

Till man by virtuous maxim learns to move. 

Till all the peopled world her laws approve, 

And the whole human race be bound in Brother's Love. 



On the evening of April 30th, "Sutter Lodge, 
Ancient York Masons," was organized by Deputy 
G. M. John A. Tutt, under a dispensation from the 
Grand Lodge of California. The lodge commenced 
with eighteen members ; among whom were the fol- 
lowing officers : E. J. Willis, W. M. ; C. E. Thorn, 
S. W. ; Addison Martin, J. W. 

In addition to the Masons' and Odd Fellows' 
Hosjoital, there were several private hospitals in 
Sacramento City. Their location, the names of the 
proprietors and tariff of prices, are fully set forth in 
the following advertisements, published in the. 
Transcript : 



302 nilVATE HOSPITALS. 



"TkR. DOWS Tliomsonian llosintal 
^-^ and Botanic Moilioine Store, on K st., be- 
twoen lM mill :W. Pr. V>. roturns his siiuore thanks to 
his ThoinsouiiUi frioiids for their very liberal support 
durinix the hiit soasun, and will cnileavor to merit its 
contiiiuaiu'C. Haviiisx eiilarvred his house, anil added 
many beds, and as he atU'uiis on patients jiorsonally, 
he feels eontident, after a praitii'al exinrieneo of 23 
years, he shall be able to f;ivo Ins i>atients general 
satisfaition. llavin-j a birvre stoek of medieine on 
hand, he is prepared to sn)iply I'hysieians in the mines 
ftt wholesale, eheaper than any other house in Cali- 
fornia. 

Price of admission to the ho.<!pital per day, is P.">. ?S, 
?10, $15, 820, and S2o, according to trouble and ex- 
pense. aplO 3m 

Medical Partnership. 

iOCTORS T. J. WHITE and C. 

D. CLEVEL.VND have as!?ooiated them- 
selves in the practice of Jl/<(//W»f, Surijcrii and Obstet- 
rics, and have established an extensive IU>si)ital. that 
will accommodate one hundred patients, on the cor- 
ner of Ninth and L streets: where one of the parties 
can always be found, and the other at the counting 
room ot rani. ^\ hite it Co. 

Dr. White's personal attention will, at nil times, be 
devoted to such cases as luay bo entrusted to his care. 

apl2-3m 

ilJUTTER'S FORT HOSPITAL; 

^^ inside tlie Fort, by Drs. James S. Martin 
and r>. U. Carman, having been thorontrhly repaired, 
is now ready for the coiufiutable accommodation of 
patients. Tlie salubrity of the location is evident to 
evcrv one. The Hospital beins in a lar.ire adobe build- 
inar. it is exempt from that extreme hoat which is inci- 
dent to this climate during the summer. Terms mode- 
Ate. 

Keferences— Dr. T. G. Chapman. Dr. J. B. Bridsman, 
Dr. S. McClure. Dr. S. P. Thomas, Dr. L. A. BirdsiUl, 
Dr. Deal, Dr. \V. Bryarlj\ aplG 3m 



Besides the foregoing, Drs. Morse and Stillman 
ran a hospital at the corner of K and Third Streets, 
but either professional etiquette or excessive modesty 
prevented them from advertising. 

About the middle of ^lay, the elite of Sacra- 
mento City were thrown into spasms by the follow- 
ing marriage in high life : 

Married, 

On Wednesdav ovcnini:. tlie I'th inst.. br the Rev. 
Mr. Moorliou.-c. WM. C. Vol NU. Lj;q.. of this citv. to 
Miss lA'CY A. BARNES, daughter of Henry Barnes, 
Esq.. of I'hiladelphia. 



A MARRIAGE. 303 

The following editorial notice of the event ap- 
peared in the Transcript of May IStli : 

The most genteel affair that we have as yet witnessed in 
California, came off in this city night before last. We have 
heretofore been inclined to yield to the ball given at San Fran- 
cisco, in the Hall of the California Guards, the precedence 
over all other fashionable assemblages; but the affair night 
before last stands pre-eminently the first. There was nothing 
like effort apparent, but all was ease and gentility. The bride 
was dressed in white satin, trimmed with flowers. Her dark 
hair was braided in the most elegant style, and a beautiful 
white veil added its airy grace to her person. The bi-idegroom 
was tastefully dressed in black, with white satin vest and neck- 
erchief. The bridesmaid attracted scarcely less attention than 
the bride. A splendid specimen bracelet, a present from the 
bridegroom, graced her arm, and lace caught up with flowers 
added to the beauty of her rich satin dress. The ceremony 
was the most impressive of the kind that it has ever been our 
good fortune to witness. The j^arties were married according 
to the Episcopal ritual. They were impressed with the spirit 
of the solemn act, and every response was clear, distinct and 
heartfelt. May the Goddess of Happiness strew their pathway 
with flowers. 

The beautiful cottage, which has been an enigma for many 
weeks to some of our citizens, is tastefully and elegantly fur- 
nished. The music was excellent, and the merry hours sped 
swiftly and silently away. Our sincerest Avish is, that 

" adown life's valley, hand in hand, 



With grateful change of grave and merry speech, 
Or song, their hearts unlocking each to each, 
They'll journey onward to the silent land !" 

On the 22d of April, our cotemporary, the 
Placer Times, puhlished by E. Gilbert & Co., and 
edited by Colonel Joseph E. Lawrence, commenced 



304 THE PLACER TIMES. 

its tri-woekly jniblicatlon on Mondays, Wednesdays 
and Haturdays, idtornating Avith the Transcript; 
therefore, tlie citizens had a newspaper on every 
morning of the week, Sunday excepted. Colonel 
Joseph E. Lawrence, Mr. Jesse Giles's successor in 
the editorial management of the Times, was born 
on Long Island, but was a resident of New Orleans 
when the gold fever broke out in the States, and 
emigrated from that city to California, on mule 
back, via Mexico and Lower California. 



CHAPTEH XVIII. 

Commercial advantages of Sacramento City — New buildings 
— First daily issue of the Transcript — The Placer Times 
follows suit — Sell my interest in the Transcript to Mr. G. C. 
Weld — Death of Mr. Weld — Tribute to his memory — Cap- 
tain John A. Sutter — Sutter's Fort — Attack on the Fort by 
the Indians — They are re^Dulsed — Hock Farm. 

Sacramento City is, at tins time, in point of 
commercial advantages and population, the second 
city in California. Its j^opulation is variously es- 
timated at from five to seven thousand, including 
floating population. A year ago it contained 
scarcely half a dozen tents and shanties, and a 
bridle-path led from the bank of the Sacramento 
River to Sutter's Fort. 

Its growth during the past ten months has been 
almost magical. Here labor asks its own price, and 
its beck commands capital. No chartered institu- 
tions have monopolized the great avenues to wealth; 
no aristocracy, grown proud from the long 2:)osses- 
sion of exclusive privileges, can obtain a foothold or 
assert supremacy. Circumstances have established 
a level, in which it is honorable to be, from which 
every one has an equal chance to rise, and where 
merit is the only sure guarantee of success. Neither 
business nor capital can oppress labor in California. 
Whenever its rights are invaded, the gulches and 
cafions that lead down tlie western slope of the 
Sierra Nevada will furnish a safe retreat, where 

(307) 



308 INDEPENDENCE AND MUTUAL DEPENDENCE. 

labor will obtain a ricli reward, until its end is 
gained and the powers that oppress it yield to 
necessity and consent to do jnstice. 

A general independence is observable in the 
people here, which is the inevitable result of their 
mutual relation. All classes are alike dependent 
upon each other, and obligations are mutually in- 
curred. The rich men of to-day wxre adventurers 
yesterday. How natural, then, that they should 
respect labor, by which they have accomplished 
their success. Few can be found who have secured 
a competency by their own exertions who do not 
feel a conscious pride in acknowledging it. Labor 
will continue to hold the first position in California. 
Kich and exhaustless as are her natural resources, 
they have slumbered in the bowels of the earth 
since creation, and the world could never be ben- 
efited by them, without the judicious application of 
bone and muscle — the real capital of the world. 

The consciousness once spread throughout the 
people, that they can depend upon themselves with 
safety, has forcibly acquainted them with the tre- 
mendous strength that lies latent among them, which 
increases in them still more the feeling of self- 
reliance. Their opinions are heard at the corners 
of the streets; they stand, in all their vigor, in 
public assemblages ; and every tone of their voices 
speaks of independence, of calm determination, and 
of self-reliance. Those who have immigrated here 
are, in most cases, the cream of the populace. A 
manly, vigorous, intelligent race of freemen, capa- 
ble of meeting any emergency, have seized upon the 



COMMEKCIAL ADVANTAGES. 809 

liills and valleys, and California will, in less than 
five years' time, make herself felt among the nations 
of the world, either directly as a free land, or indi- 
rectly by her stern independence of feeling. Her 
voice will he respected, her decision will he looked 
for. She is the most practical of coramnnities ; and 
yet there is genius here. The pale-faced poet has 
stolen in upon us, and now and then, amid the din 
of building towns, his fine strain is heard. The 
painter, the musician, the artist — all are here. 
Stern life brings them down to the practical, but 
they are here, and will, in time, make themselves 
felt. Female society will be here soon, and then 
what more can be asked for? It is not strange, 
then, that this feeling of self-reliance should be so 
strong and broadcast in the land. Witli a country 
so rich in resources ; so blest in a people to man- 
age it, the future destiny of California is one of 
the sublimest subjects for contemplation that can be 
presented to the mind. 

The rapidly-increasing commerce of Sacramento 
City presents the strongest reasons for making it a 
port of entry. It is situated at the head of ship- 
navigation on the Sacramento Kiver. A few miles 
above the city a bar stretches across the river, and 
tlie water from that point up is so shoal as to be 
navigable only by steamboats and vessels of light 
draft. From Sacramento City down to the Bay of 
San Francisco, navigation is unobstructed. At the 
very lowest stages of the water last summer and fall, 
vessels came up to Sacramento drawing ten feet and 
a half of water. The bark Uiidme came up late in 



310 THE FINE LEVEE OF SACRAMENTO. 

August last drawing ten feet. The bark An?i Welsh, 
o90 tons, came up last October, drawing ten feet, 
and the bark Strafford, lying at the Levee as a 
prison-shijD for the city, came up in September last, 
drawing ten feet and seven inches of water. The 
latter is 314 tons, custom-house measurement, and 
has a capacity of 5,000 barrels. Sacramento has an 
excellent Levee, alongside of which ships can lie 
with safety, and upon which they can discharge their 
cargoes Avithout the expense of lightering. AVhen 
the rivers are at their very lowest j^oint, the water 
immediately alongside of Front Street and the Levee 
of the American E-iver is from two and one-half to 
three fathoms deep. The river in front of the city 
is a quarter of a mile wide, giving ample room for 
the working of vessels. The Levee for a mile along 
Front Street is lined with vessels, and in some places 
they are two deep. Tliey number upwards of twenty 
ships and barks, and thirty brigs. There are also 
a large number of schooners and other small craft. 
The distance from San Francisco is 104 miles. Ves- 
sels have come up from the bay in twenty-four hours, 
and the passage, at the longest, seldom exceeds four 
days. In a short time steam-tugs will ply on the 
river. 

Sacramento is not only at the head of shiji-navi- 
gation, but it is the natural metropolis for the rich 
and extensive mines of the north, south and middle 
forks, Yuba, Feather and Bear llivers. Deer Creek, 
Cosumne, Dry Creek and the Upper Sacramento, 
together with all the dry-diggings contiguous. From 
this extensive section of the mining country, excellent 



I I'll I :' ' ):lMf .', jih.h'iil ;■ 'i ; !•■ ' l.„. ^^C<. ■',,'''" ' '" „ 




IMPKOVEMENTS IN THE CITY. 313 

roads, in the dry season, converge to Sacramento 
City as the nearest and by far the greatest entrepot 
and depot. Along these roads hundreds of teams 
toil daily, supplying this vast mining region with 
provisions, clothing and other necessary articles of 
consumption. To supply the Sacramento market, 
which is thus continually drained, steamers and 
vessels of heavy burden arrive daily from San Fran- 
cisco, in which merchandise, after having been dis- 
charged there, is rcshipped to Sacramento City. 
Already have two hundred vessels cleared from the 
States for Sacramento City direct ; and the advan- 
tages of this move are ajiparent from the fact that 
the cost of reshipment from San Francisco to Sac- 
ramento exceeds, to a considerable amount, that of 
shipment from New York to San Francisco. 

While the work on the Levee was progressing, 
improvements were going on rapidly on Second and 
J Streets. Tlie former street has undergone an 
almost complete metamorphosis. A number of 
large and well-constructed buildings are completed, 
or rapidly approaching that j^oint — buildings, tasty 
and handsome in their outward ap2oearance, and 
well calculated to ornament the city. Above J 
Street, there are four buildings of this descri2Dtion. 
A new building on the corner above the theatre, 
owned by Lee & Cornwall, designed for the ipost- 
office, is nearly finished, and stands in agreeable 
contrast to the ruin of the old adobe opjiosite ; 
showing how rapidly the customs of our own race 
are doing away with those of the former occupants 
of the soil. The Tehama Theatre needs only a 



814 BUILDING THE ORDER OF THE DAY. 

little outside j^olisli to give it an imjiosing appear- 
ance. A little nearer J Street, two other two-story 
houses, also owned by Lee & Cornwall, have arisen 
within a few days. Crossing J Street, between the 
office of the Transcript and the fine brick building, 
corner of J and Second Streets, a si:)leudid three- 
story structure, fronting forty-five feet on Second 
Street, is nearly completed. A few steps further 
down, on the oj'iposite side of the street, two large 
two-story buildings will be completed in a few days. 
A little further down the street, is the cottage of 
Mr. William C. Young, nearly ready for occujiancy. 
J Street is also making rapid strides in improve- 
ments of various kinds. Through its whole length 
may be seen the most gratifying evidences of the 
energy and enterprise of its merchants. Besides 
the general improvements going on, in glutting up 
new fronts, awnings and sidewalks, twelve new 
buildings are being constructed. Ten of these build- 
ings are two and a half stories high, fronting from 
twenty to thirty-five feet on J Street, and running 
back from forty to sixty feet. It is now a settled 
fact, that the day for doing successful business in the 
open air or in canvas tents, has gone by, and con- 
sequently no one thinks of putting up a new build- 
ins: that is not of a character to confer credit on the 
city. One of the finest buildings in California, in 
respect to dimensions and architecture, is going up 
between Second and Third Streets, adjoining the 
Humboldt. It is forty feet front by one hundred 
and twenty-five feet deeji, and two stories high. 
The whole lower story will constitute a single saloon, 



TWO "dailies" m sacramento. 315 

throiigli the centre of which, at short intervals, are 
massive pillars to supj^ort the ceiling. The entire 
second story is designed for a dancing hall, and it 
will surpass anything of the kind in California. 
K Street is also beginning to show signs of improve- 
ment. The proprietors of the Transcript have 
purchased a lot on this street, above Second, on 
which they are erecting a fire-proof brick building, 
two stories high, to wliich they will remove their 
office on the 1st of July. 

On the first day of June, the Transcript began 
its daily publication, with the following editorial 
announcement : 

Such is the size of Sacramento City, and such has become 
its importance as a commercial mart, that we feel it to be due 
to the public, due to our patrons, due to ourselves, as the con- 
ductors of a public enterprise, no longer to remain stationary, 
while all else around us is improving in a truly liberal and 
energetic manner. Newspapers are looked to as an index by 
which the importance of the localities they represent may be 
judged. Since we could no longer do justice to the public as 
chroniclers of passing events, Ave have decided to commence 
Avith this number the issue of the " Daily Sacramento Tran- 
script," the first daily newspaper in California out of San 
Francisco. When Ave remember that it is not yet fiA^e months 
since the first daily pajDer was established in California, it will 
be seen that Sacramento City is not far behind, if she did start 
after the race was well begun elscAvhere. 

Ten days later, June 10th, the Transcripfs co- 
temporary, the Placer Times, came out daily in a 
new typographical dress. 

On the first day of July, I sold my interest in 

18 



316 DEATH OF GILBERT C. WELD. 

the Transcript to Mr. Gilbert C. Weld, California 
correspondent of tlie New York Journal of Com- 
merce ; and on the same day the proprietors of 
that journal moved into their new fire-proof brick 
building on K Street above Second. Althongh 
having no pecuniary interest in the Tra^iscrij^t, I 
remained in charge of the business department of 
the paper until the latter j^art of August. Soon 
after purchasing my interest in the Transcript, 
Mr. Weld was prostrated by an attack of typhoid 
fever. He was for a few days an inmate of Drs. 
Morse & Stillman's hospital, but was subsequently 
removed to a private boarding-house, kept by a 
Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich, on K Street near Fifth, 
where, despite the best medical treatment that could 
be procured and careful nursing, he passed from 
eai'th to that bourn whence no traveler returns, on 
the evenino; of the 9tli of Auirust. Mr. Weld was 
a ready and graceful writer and a man of decided 
genius. Had he lived, he would have made a 
shining mark in California journalism. The Tran- 
script of August 10th was jDublished with inverted 
column-rules, draped in mourning, with the follow- 
ing obituary of the deceased, written by Mr. F. C. 
Ewer : 

This morning a melancholy duty devolves upon us. Death 
has snatched from our midst one Avho, though newly come 
among us, had endeared himself to our hearts as a brother. 
It is the foirest flower of our garden that is plucked. A voice 
that we listened to for instruction, that cheered us through 
the trying hours, that joined with us in our mirth, that was 
full of wisdom and of love, and consolation and hope, is hushed 



A TEIBUTE TO HIS WOETH. 317 

forever. Oh, how will kindred hearts, iu a land that is far away, 
be wrung with anguish ! By our side are the miniatures of his 
beautiful wife and three lovely children, whose hearts must 
soon feel the keen pangs known only to the widow and the 
orphan. A lovely daughter passed away but a few months 
since, and nearly broke the heart of the solitary father. Now 
he has gone to meet her. The intelligence of his bereavement 
cast a gloom over his silent moments which it was impossible 
to shake off. It was in one of these spells that his soul burst 
forth, as if by inspiration, in the following gush of feeling : 

" Thy last sweet letter, treasured as a prize, 
I daily read, and think of thee, dear Mary ; 
Of all thy beauties, all thy virtues rare. 
Thy lustrous, bright blue eyes, thy golden tresses, 
Thy matchless features, and thy seraph voice, 
Thy tender, loving, sympathizing heart — 
I think of these, and thousand other graces, 
And then my stubborn will, prone to rebel, 
Curses the hand which laid thee low in death, 
And robbed thy father of his choicest blessing ! 

. But thou art gone ! Why should I wish thee back ? 
Thy sufferings are ended — thou art saved ! 
Saved from the sins, the sufferings of earth. 
The woes, the griefs which rack thy father's heart ; 
Freed from temptation, trouble, care and pain ! 
Saved with a full salvation, rich and free; 
Boundless as God's benevolence can give. 
And lasting as thfc Giver. 

" my soul ! 
Cease thy rebellings ! God has taken my child 
From ills to come. What seems to thee a curse 
Is blessing in disguise. Assuage thy grief, 
For He who caused the stroke ' doeth all things well !' 

" 'Tis done ! The bitterness of woe is past — 
My grief is o'er — my tears shall cease to flow 1 
And when my spirit sinks, in days to come, 



818 CAPTAIN JOHN A. SUTTER. 

And gloom, like winter, settles o'er my soul. 
Thy mcm'ry, IMary, and the blessed thought 
Tliat thou art hapjjier far than him bereaved, 
AVill light the gloom, dispel the gathering storm, 
And leave the fountain in my troubled breast 
As peaceful as the hill-girt lake in summer. 
Oh ! I will live, my child, as one who hopes 
To meet thee in a brighter, better world !" 

For versatility of talent, for brilliancy of thought, for se- 
renity of disposition, for genial, social feeling, Mr. "Weld was 
rarely equaled. He was a man who won upon the affections 
mysteriously, and he had not an acquaintance that was not his 
friend. The career before him was brilliant. His writings 
were graceful, filled with the play of lively fancy, and illu- 
mined by the light of a brilliant imagination. They had 
gained for him an enviable fame ; but the withering blast of 
disease came o'er him, and the liigli anticipations of his friends 
were blighted. His death was as his life, serene and hopeful. 
He sank as sinks the star, silent, uncomplaining, beautiful. 
The hearts of his many friends will be touched with grief; the 
spirit of his beloved wife will be bowed under the heavy be- 
reavement ; the tears of his sweet little children will flow as 
they remember his parting kiss. But the star, though set, is 
shining still in the heavens. He was a devoted Christian, and 
unaffectedly pious. He breathed his last at about nine o'clock 
last evcningj " at peace with God and the world." 

Caf)tain Jolin A. Sutter, the first white man who 
settled at New Helvetia, now Sacramento City, 
came overland from Jackson County, Missouri, in 
183S-9. At that time the country was the abode 
of savages and wild beasts. Here, in this distant 
and secluded dej^endeucy of imbecile Mexico, he 
determined to rear the standard of American free- 
dom. Such was the intention and feeling of this 



HIS ENTERPllISE AND DARING. oUl 

veteran soldier, wlieu lie conceived the ide;i of 
uniting tliis land of gold, the liidc between Asi:i iind 
America, completing a commercial chain, now en- 
compassing the whole world. The privations, hard- 
ships, mental anxiety and peril, necessarily encount- 
ered by Captain Sutter, during this long period, 
cannot be adequately depicted. Kepeatedly the 
savage foe, under various pretexts, sought his life ; 
and to good judgment, prom2)tness and energy, does 
he owe his continued existence. At one time, while 
conversing with a friend in the fort, at a late hour 
of the night, a sudden noise burst upon their ears. 
The savages had entered the walls of the fort. 
The Captain and his friends were saved by a faith- 
ful dog, that suddenly s})rang at the throats of the 
intruders and felled them, one by one, to the 
ground, until several were dangerously wounded 
and the rest lied. The wounded Indians confessed 
the plot. 

Captain Sutter has vacated the fort at Sacramento, 
removed to Hock Farm aiul turned his attention to 
farming. This farm is situated on a high and 
beautiful plain, on the Feather lliver, about 8 miles 
below Yuba City, and comprises about six hundred 
acres, ai'ound which a deep ditch has been dug. 
Near the bank of the river, and close to the steam- 
boat landing, stand the residence and outbuildings 
of Captain Sutter. Above and below these are 
large gardens, which, in their appearance, give the 
best possible evidence that California is not allu- 
gether the barren, uni^roductive region it is some- 
times reported. The hartly pioneer who owns this 



322 HOCK FAEM. 

place lias heard tlie unfavorable report, concerning 
liis adopted home, and he is laboring to show all 
"vvho are open to conviction that the earth, even in 
California, will reward the husbandman for his toil. 
He is sanguine of success, and has good reasons for 
his exjoectations. A large variety of vegetables are 
in a flourishing state, while of radishes, lettuce, 
onions and beets, he has enough and to spare. 
Nearly every steamboat that touches at Hock Farm 
brings away a choice variety of the products of his 
gardens to regale his friends at a distance. Back of 
these gardens are large fields of wheat, and to see 
them is all that is necessary to convince the beholder 
of the adaptation of the soil and climate to the j^ro- 
duction of this important article of consumption. 
Here, in one field, are eighty acres, and in the best 
grain sections of the States it would be difficult to 
find a more even and healthy-looking crop. Indian 
corn is also receiving attention here, but thus far its 
appearance is not veiy flattering. A space of about 
half an acre has been thickly planted with a choice 
variety of the graj^e, and the shoots appear from 
almost every scion, giving the most encouraging 
hoj)es of a successful cultivation of the vine. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

Grand entertainment given at Hock Farm by Captain Sutter — 
Full report of the affair — Letter from Thomas O. Larkin — 
Mr. Francis D. Clark and others resolve that one man is as 
good as another, provided, he behaves himself — The glorious 
Fourth — Its first celebration in Sacramento City — " The 
Ancient Order of Bricks" and the Sons of Temperance 
publish their programmes of exercises — A jolly Fourth of 
July. 

On June 2d, Captain Sutter gave a grand enter- 
tainment at Hock Farm, to wliieli about one hun- 
dred ladies and gentlemen from Sacramento City 
were invited. The following report of the afiair 
appeared in the Transcript two days afterward : 

Day before yesterday we found ourselves in the midst of a 
delightful party of about one hundred ladies and gentlemen on 
board of the Governor Dana. The steamer left the foot of K 
Street about half-past eight, A. M. Hundreds of spectators 
stood upon the Levee and on the neighboring vessels watching 
her departure. The band was playing on the upper deck ; the 
ladies and gentlemen were collected under the awnings ; her 
flags were flying ; the sun was shining brightly, while at the 
same time a cool breeze was blowing ; in short, everything 
augured a pleasant time. There Avere two things that could be 
depended upon : No rough weather was to be looked for, to 
discompose the placidity of a hundred breakfasts and cause 
"noise, confusion," etc., and no fears were to be entertained 
that a rain-storm would come up to mar the pleasure of the 
occasion. The crowd on board were congenial to each other,, 
and commenced forthwith to enjoy themselves by taking the 

(323) 



324 SUTTER ENTERTAINS AT IIOC'K FARM. 

proper ])rej):u'atory steps. The stoiiiiicr diirU'd swill ly U[) the 
river, leaving Sacramento behind, and carrying away from it 
a luindred liappy hearts. Tlio usnal ainnsing small-talk on 
those highly important snbjects, " charming day," " extpiisite 
weather," etc., passed between certain of the ladies and gentle- 
men, leaving behind a strikingly apparent and a semi-serio- 
comic dearlh of other matter, while tlio ladies looked at the 
opposite baidc of the river in the interim, and the gentlemen 
stood with smiling conntenances and glistening eyes all ready 
to listen to any snbjeet that any one in the vicinity might 
suggest. Meanwhile others, the older and more sedate, were 
exhausting the weightier topics of "invigorating breezes" and 
the distant Sierra Nevada. Editors were asked the latest 
news ; physicians answiM'ed learnedly interrogatories as to the 
state of health in the Sacramento Valley ; the scpiatter ques- 
tion was discussed, and the wrongs suffered by California were 
not forgotten. The crowd soon become ae(piainU'd with each 
other, and these merry meetings warm the heart and ilraw the 
mind away from the sternness of business and expand the 
social feeling. 

The Gorcnior Dana is an excellent boat. The river was 
placid and she steamed swiftly up, now grazing one bank of the 
winding stream and now ])assing under the shade of the trees upon 
the other. Fremont was soon reaclu'd. The towns-peoi)lo were 
down to see the landing. The American flag was flying from 
the j)ole on the Levee, and the music of the band Mas lieard 
in the interval between the cheers which, as we touched the 
Levee, arose from those who had come out to welcome us to 
their town. After a reinforcement of ladies and gentlemen 
from Frc>mont had stepped on board, we left and touched at 
the oi)posite town of Vernon. Then striking from Sacramento 
into the Feather, wo wended our rai)id way to Nicholaus. 
Ebcrhardt was ready to receive the guests, who dined at his 
excellent hotel. 

The next place wo stopped at was riumas. This town 
flourishes finely, having grown up since our last trip to Marys- 
ville, some two months ago. 

After passing the steamci'S Martha Jane and Linda on their 



TIUP UP THE SACRAMENTO. 325 

way from Marysvillo to Sacrainoiito, hoLli of Avliidi mo saluted, 
wo reached Hock Farm, wluiro the great pioneer of (JiiliCoriiiii 
stood upon the bank to nuieive us. 

The arrival at this place was one of tho most interesting 
parts of the trip. As we rounded into sigiit, our coming was 
announced by the blowing of tin; whistles This was responded 
to by the firing of cannon on the baidc of tho river in front of 
Captain Sutter's house. Amid the echoes, our band slrnriv up 
"Hail Columbia," and as we ncarcd, another report i'vuui the 
cannon was responded to by tho crowd upon our deck, who raised 
nine hearty cheers for tho inmates of Hock Farm, f Japtain 
Sutter and his family camo forth from tho house and down to 
the edge of the bank. One more report from tho cannon and 
tho plaidc was thrown to tho shore, and the crowd poured out 
of tho boat, as this was their place of destination. Caplain 
Sutter, after recognizing his old acquaintaiuHjs in his usual 
cordial manner, ste})})ed ])ack into the spacious in(;losure iu 
front of his house, where ho received his i'riends and was 
introduced to his other guests. 

The Indians who stood in crowds upon the bank wctc thunder- 
struck, not less with the whole scene tiian with tlu; music from 
the band. Captain Sutter informed us tliat this was tho first 
time they had heard anything of the kind. A long tabic was 
set in the shade in front of the houses, loaded with the d(!lica(!ies 
of the season. Tho company seated tluimselvcs under the 
direction of General Winn, tho agent of Captain Sutter, wiio 
had previously been appointed by the company Master of 
Ceremonies. Captain Sutter and family took seats at the 
centre of the long table; the ladies sat at his right and left; 
General Winn sat at one end, and the rest of the comjjany 
seated themscilves promiscuously at tho table. The time was 
passed very sociably and at last tho regular toasts came off. 
The first was drunk by the whole c()mpany, standing, it was — 

1. To Mrs. Sutter. Captain Sutter responded on behalf of 
his lady and gave — 

2. A hearty welcome to tho ladies and gentlemen at Hock 
Farm, 

Music, '^lail Columbia." 



326 THE TOASTS. 

After a pleasant little talk by which the Master of Cere- 
monies brought the company to order, the following toasts, 
which have been handed to us by the Secretary, were then 
given : 

3. By Mr. Stephens — Captain Sutter first, Captain Sutter 
last. 

4. By Mr. Morrill — To the ladies of California ! God bless 
them. 

5. By Mr. Johnson — Miss Sutter. 

6. By Mr. Fendrick — To the welfare of California and Hock 
Farm. 

7. By Mr. Hamilton — John A. Sutter, the Pioneer of Cal- 
ifornia. 

8. By Mr. L. E, Boren — May the despots of all nations be 
dethroned and Republicanism be triumphant. 

9. By Mr. Gore — Captain Sutter ; his hospitality will always 
be imprinted on our hearts and never forgotten. 

10. By INIr. W. E, Moody — Hock Farm, the remembrance 
of which will always cause our hearts to be warm, 

11. By General Winn — The World, may it all be Re- 
publican. 

Two toasts were then given — one to our host and hostess 
and the other to the Captain of the Governor Dana. 

C. H. Pierson then rose and gave — To our absent mothers 
and fathers, wives and children. 

Bachelors and maidens all arose and drank heartily to this 
toast. 

Mr. Sweezy then gave a toast which he read from a piece of 
paper. We were unable to procure it subsequently. We 
regret this as it was an excellent one. 

A gentleman then arose in behalf of Miss F., of Yuba City, 
and gave — May all proprietors be as agreeable toward the 
ladies as the proprietors of Veazie City. 

General AVinn then gave a toast, which, if the Secretary 
understood correctly, was — May the charity of Californians 
equal the charitable feelings of Captain Sutter. 

17. By a lady — Captain Sutter: the man Avho taught the 
Digger Indians how to dig ! 



THE KETUEN. 327 

18. Mr. "Wilder proposed Sacramento. 

19. By General Winu — California, may it be settled by 
those wlio have daughters and sons willing to enjoy themselves 
in this country ! 

This was a toast which breathed the spirit of a true Califor- 
niau, who has set the example of his precept. 

20. His eldest daughter then gave — To absent friends ! 

21. Mr. Buscara of China — The friends of Captain Sutter! 

22. By George W. Tyler — Captain Sutter and California — 
the fame of the former is world-wide and inseparably connected 
with the latter ! 

The following was given by a gentleman, name unknown — 
The Beauties of California, the wild flowers and the tame 
ladies. 

Colonel Grant was called upon and gave — Brigadier-General 
Winn, a brave and good soldier ; may he, in his march through 
life, never be in want of good pay and plenty of rations. 

Mr. Bust gave — The reunion of the family of Captain Sutter. 

Mrs. Winn gave, through her husband — To the ladies now 
on their way to California. 

Mr. Latson gave — To Peter H. Burnett, the first American 
Governor of California. 

After it had been moved and carried by acclamation, " that 
the thanks of the company be given to Ca2:)taiu Sutter for his 
princely hospitality," the party adjourned. About half-past 
six the company took their leave, delighted with the hospitable 
treatment they had received ; and, after giving nine cheers for 
Hock Farm, the boat pushed from the shore. The band 
struck up " Yankee Doodle," and we wended our way back to 
Sacramento. 

The distance up and back was about 130 miles. The speed 
of the Governor Dana can be judged somewhat by this. 

We are confident that we echo the feelings of every one 
present when we say that it will be long before the pleasure- 
trip to Hock Farm will be effaced from our memories. 

In the month of July the proj^rietors of the Tran- 
script received the following letter from Mr. Thomas 



328 A SHORT BUT CAPITAL LETTER. 

O. Larkin, for many years American Consul at 
Monterey. ]\Ir. Larkin's letter is copied in order 
to show how a Californian feels when he visits the 
States, after becoming fairly attached to the country 
of his adoption : 

Irving House, New York, May 27th, 1850. 

Messrs. Fitch, Upham & Co., Sacramento, California, 
Gentlemen: — By favor of Mr. Cornwall, I am in possession of 
your Sacramento Tra^iscript. There is no improvement in 
California that pleases me more than the issuing of another 
newspaper in that young and advancing State. I owe much 
to California, and my last breath shall be spent in that ac- 
knowledgment. That myself and wife might visit the laud of 
our birth, after eighteen years' absence, caused me to leave 
that country ; and the education of the first ch ildren born 
there of United States' parents — rather of United States 
mother* — causes us to remain here for the present. 

Please put me down on your list as a subscriber — direct to 
New York. I am, with much respect, 

Thoivias O. Larkin. 

A strong prejudice against foreign miners existed 
throughout the northern and southern mines. Most 
Americans seemed to think that a foreigner had no 
rights which they were bound to respect. The 
inhabitants of Georgetown seemed to think differ- 
ently, as will be seen by the following resolutions 
unanimously adopted at a public meeting, and 
signed by Francis D. Clark, Chairman, and others: 

1. Resolved, That all men shall have permission to live in this 
camp, without being in any way molested. 

* There were many of foreign fathers and California mothers. , 



PREPARING FOR THE FOURTH. 329 

2. Resolved, That the civil law shall be sustained, and that 
all those under the civil law shall be supported. 

3. Resolved, That two hundred and fifty copies of these 
resolutions be printed in English and Spanish, and distributed 
through the various diggings. 

Francis D. Clark, Chairman. 
John Powers, E. Montgomery, 

William Turner, T. Jefferson Wells, 

William B. McElvoy, John F. Worth, 

P. Courtrell, a. Turner, 

Georgetown, Tuolumne County. 

During tlie month of June, the citizens of Sacra- 
mento City became very patriotic and set about 
devising means to celebrate the " Glorious Fourth " 
in a becoming manner. The "Ancient and Honor- 
able Order of Bricks " held a meeting and promul- 
gated the following order of exercises : 

At a meeting of the Ancient and Independent Order of 
"Bricks," held at the City Hotel, in Sacramento City, June 
12th, 1850, officers present: A. M. AVinn, Brigadier-General, 
President ; Frank Bates, Esq., Vice-President ; George Mc- 
Kinstry and J. Bawden, Secretaries. The officers being seated, 
and the meeting organized, on motion, 

1st. It was Resolved, That we will celebrate the 4th day 
of July next in an appropriate manner ; and for this purpose 
Captain J. A. Sutter and all other '■' Bricks " be requested to 
attend. 

2d. It was Resolved, That one gun for each State be fired 
from Sacramento City, Sutter and Sutter's Fort, at sunrise, 
and that the American flag be hoisted at each place. 

3d. It was Resolved, That Captain Sutter and his old Cali- 
fornia friends be invited to attend, and head the procession. 

4th. It was Resolved, That the celebration of the 4th of July 
should be public and free to all, and that the ladies be invited 
to attend. 



330 PKELIMINARY RESOLVES. 

5tli. It was Resolved, That a Barbecue and Bear Dance be 
provided for the occasion. 

6th. It was Resolved, That forty managers be nominated to 
superintend the celebration of the 4th of July. 

7th. It Avas Resolved, That the Ancient Order of Free 
Masons, the Order of Odd Fellows, the INIunicipal Authorities 
of San Francisco and Sacramento City, and the Military and 
Fire Companies, the Sons of Temperance, and other benevolent 
institutions of Sacramento City, be invited to attend. 

8th. It was Resolved, That the Attorney-General be re- 
quested to deliver the oration, and that Geo. McKinstry, Esq., 
read the Declaration of Independence. 

9th. It was Resolved, That the Governor and his staff, the 
Major-Geueral and Brigadier-Generals and their staffs of this 
division, be also requested to attend. 

10th. It Avas Resolved, That Captain Sutter be added to the 
list of Managers, and that his name be jilaced at the head of 
the list. 

11th. It was Resolved, That the captains of vessels in port 
be requested to hoist their flags at sunrise, and that they and 
their crews be invited to attend the procession in a body. 

And then, according to the resolutions adopted, the following 
gentlemen were appointed ]\Ianagers : Captain J. A. Sutter, 
Hock Farm ; His Excellency, P. II. Burnett, Governor ; J. 
McDougall, Lt. Governor ; JNIaj. Gen. T. J. Green, Brig. Gen. 
Eastland, Brig. Gen. A. M. Winn, Col. H. E. Robinson, J. P. 
Rodgers, Maj. J. S. Fowler, Maj. IMurray jNIorrison, IMaj. N. E. 
Latson, INIaj. J. P. Hughes, Maj. W. Bryarley, Maj. T. Emory, 
Col. G. A. Grant, Capt. W. E. 'Shannon, Lt. A. H. BarbeV, 
Capt. Ilammerslcy, IMaj. Justus McKiustry, INIaj. P. B. Read- 
ing, Maj. Snowdeu, Hon. S. C. Hastings, Hon. H. Bigelow, 
Hon. J. Bigler, Hon. E. O. Crosby, Dr. T. J. White, Mr. D. 
Strong, Mr. J. McDowell, Hon. j. L. Thomas, Hon. B. F. 
Washington, Hon. C. E. Lackland, Hon. E. J. Willis, Dr. 
Frank Bates,, Mr. Geo. McKinstry, Mr. Saml. Korris, Mr. J. 
W. Hastings, Mr. Wm. Dowlin, INIr. J. Bowden, Mr. Samuel 
Brannan, Hon. T. J. Henley, ]Mr. Barton Lee. 

On motion, it was Resolved, That the IManagei's be re- 



WHICH WERE NOT CAREIED OUT. 331 

quested to meet at the City Hotel, on Wednesday next, the 
10th inst., at seven P. M. 

Resolved, That the Editors of the Placer Times and Sacra- 
mento Tnmscript be requested to publish these proceedings. 
Signed: A. M. WINN, President. 

FRANK BATES, Vice Pres. 
Signed : 

Geo. McKinstry, } q, , ■ 
' y /Secretaries. 

Joseph Bawden, j 

For some unexplained reason, tlie adjourned 
meeting of the "Bricks" did not take j^lace, and 
only two of the schemes for celebrating the Fourth 
of July were carried out — that of the Sons of Tem- 
perance and the celebration at Brighton, on the 
south bank of the American Kiver, about five miles 
from Sacramento City. The first Fourth of July 
celebration in Sacramento City passed off in a blaze 
of glory, in accordance with the following pro- 
grammes, and the participants were happy : 

Fourtli of July Celebration, 

AT THE PAVILION, BRIGPITON. 

ORDER OF EXERCISES. 

4®=- Under the direction of Major A. C. Latson, one gun for each state will be 
fired, C'timmencing at sunrise. 

On the arriviil of tlie procession from Sacramento, the Declaration of Inde- 
pendence will l)e read by George McKinstry, Esq., and an oration by Col. E. J. C. 
Kcwcn ; after w hich a splendid Dinner will be swerved at the I'avilion for as many 
as desire to partake. In the evening a splendid Ball Soiree and supper will be 
given in tlie spacinus saloon. 

The Pavilion is unsurpassed by any public house in this country, furni.shing 
ample occommodatiuns for all ; private rooms for families, newly furnished, and 
the whiile house fitteil fur the comlnrt of regular or transient visitors. 

A band of music will be in attendance during the day and evening. 

The ball soiree will be under the direction of the following gentlemen : 



Hunomnj Managers. 
Capt. J. A. Sutter, 
Hon. Hardin Bigelow, 
Gen. A. M. Winn, 
Col. J. B. Starr, 
D. G. Whitney, Esq., 
Geo. McKinstry, " 
R. D. Merrill, " 
Barker Burnell, " 
J. 11. Ilardenbergh, Esq., 
J. A Haines, Esq., 
J. W. Winans, 



Acting Mnnaqi I 
Col. E. J. C. Kewen, 
F. C. Ewer, Esq., 
Dr. W. Bryarly, 
J. E. Lawrence, Esq., 
Hon. C. C. Sackett, 
J. Sherwood, Esq., 
A. C. Monson, " 
Col. T. A. Warbass, 
Maj. J P.Hughes, 
Col. Jonn S. Fowler, 
Col. II. E. Robin.son. 



>8®* Omnibuses will run from Sacramento to the Pavilion at all hours of the 
day. jy2-3t 



J' *' 

rAHTERS, ) 

t Div. (", M. Y 
.uel2'Jth, ISoO.J 



332 FOURTH OF JULY PROGRAMMES. 

Foarth of July. 

JB7S~ At a moptlnp of tlio I'liciflo Stnr Division No. 1 , of tho Order of the Pons of 
TomporiUico, licld at tlioir Hull on J street, Juno "Jllh. lS.'iO, it was niiiuiimously 
Uf;n'('il tDcelelii'iito tlie comiiiLr Aiiniversury of our Nation's Iu<lei)en(U'iiee, iis uii 
'• Older," iu connection witli tho citizens of Sivcrameuto City generally. 

I'ltDClt.VMMK. 

Tho exercises will open at 10, a. m., in a suitable room— duo notice will be given 
hereafter. 

1st. Music— a National .\ir. 

'2d. Ueading the Uoelaration of Indepeiulence— Hon. E. J. AVillis, reader. 

8d. Music. 

4tli. Ornlion— ,T. C. Znbriskio, Esq., orator. 

5th. Music -llnil ('oluud)ia. 

At VI. M., the priHcssion, under tho direction of l^enl. T?. 'Niclferson, Esq., Mnr- 
Rhal, and two iissislanis, will ntovo to the river, and, after a short excursion 
thereon, will proceed to the houseof Capt. ("oon, where a collation will be served 
up ex]iressly tor tho occasion. After tlio cloth is removed, tlioro will bo addresses, 
toasts, t^L-c. 

The Mayor, Common Council, and citizens generally, are respectfully invited 
to jiarticiiiale iu tlie exercises. 

A good baud of music will bo secured for the occasion. 

J{y order of tho Committke of Arr.vnrements. 

N. B. Col. Zabriskiehns consented nt this late hour to prepare an (.)ratiou for 
the occasion, in conse«iucneo of the decease of tho Kev. Mr. Kalloch, who had 
previously been engaged. je2.") tf 

BRIGAIMC HkAI) Ql'ARTERS, 

2d Brig. 1st: 
Sacramento City, Juno : 
ORDERS NO. 2. 

Our Nation's birlhdav will be celebrated tliroughout this Brigade on next 
Thursday, the -tlh day of July, 
t)ue i;iiu lor each State will be fu'ed. 
From S\il(er's Kort, bv Maj. ^\■. Hrvarly. 
BrijAhtou, by M'aj. .\. C. halsou. 
" Korrislow u, liy Capt. Saiu'l Norris. 
" Sutler, by Maj. L. W. Hastiu,i;s. 
" Bae. City, by Maj. John 1'. Kod.wrs. 
Tho first .uii" \v >U"be li'red at sunrise, w hen the flags at each of those points, as 
well as tlie llu,i;s of tlie shiupiup; iu i>ort, will be hoisted. Music—" Hail Columbia." 
Immediately alter each regular round and simultaneous with each giui at 
Sacramento City, the shipping will lire their guns. 

A sahue of tliirteen guns will be lired for Capt. .Tohn A.Sutter, from Sutter's 
Fort, at \1 o'clocU. under tho snperiutendeueo of JIaj. John S. Fowler. 

The nieinbers of tlie stall', ami tlio>o iutendiug to take part in the morning 
celebration, will meet at tho City Hotel at S o'clock, ou the evening of tho M of 
Jiilv, 

Capt, Sutter, his old California friends, and the Brigadier General and stall will 
join the general procession at half past 11 o'clock. 

liy order of Brig. General A. 51. AVINN, 
jy2 John S. Ft)Wi.i:R, Aid. 

Fourtli of July. 

JKlfr- An Oration will be delivereil and a cold eollation served up at Washington, 
opposite Sacramenlo City, ou tho Fourth of July, at the spacious Hall of Capt. M. 
T. Coon. 

The Tacillc Star Division Sons of Temperance, No. 1, will be present. The 
citizens of .Sacramento, Fremont, Marvsville, Yuba City, Eli/a and Nicholaus. aie 
partieularlv invited. A steamer wilTleavo Marvsville at an early hour on iho 
morning ot"' the -1111. to arrive at AVashingtim in time for the festivities of the day. 

I'rogriuume: 1st. A salute of thirteen guns will be lired at sunrise, when the 
stars and stripes \\\\\ be unlurled to the breeze. 

•M. At I'i o'clock, M., a salute of thirteen guns, when the Sons of Temperance 
will embark from Sacramenlo City, and on their arrival will bo escorted to tlie 
dining hall, by the citizens of Wasiiington and visitors. 

od. The exercises will commence at 3 o'clock, 1'. M., with 

1st. Music. 

2d. Kcading of the Declaration of Independence, by Dr. IT. A. Weeks, of Fre- 
mont. 

;5d. Oratiim by Wm. M. Zabriskie, Esq. 

•Itli. Music: llail Ciilumbia. 

Mil. Saluteof tliirlecn guns at sunset. 

The hall will be illuminated in the evening, and the whole will conclude with 
a ball. A baud of music will bo iu tttteudaiico. 

jyl.2t MAHLON T. COON. 



CHAPTER XX. 

Laud-titles in Sacramento City — The squatters organize and 
mean business — Buildings erected by the squatters demol- 
ished — The squatters hold incendiary meetings and declare 
war to the knife — Assessor Woodland and ShcrifFMcKinney 
killed and Mayor Bigelow dangerously wounded— Burial of 
Assessor Woodland and Sheriff McKinncy — The citizens 
organize military companies — Relief for the overland emi- 
grants — Farewell to Sacramento City. 

During tlie summer tlie squatter element por- 
tended trouble. The titles to real estate in Sacra- 
mento were somewhat mixed, and the squatters 
contended that they had as much right to the land 
as those holding titles under Sutter. A squatters' 
organization was formed, which held frequent meet- 
ings, and its members made violent and incendiary 
speeches, which, at first, were considered by the 
Mayor and more conservative citizens, as mere 
vaporings ; but they soon learned that the squatters 
were in dead earnest and meant business. 
• On the 21st of June, four or five persons, hold- 
ing property under Sutter's title, demolished a 
s(piatter's house erected on a lot belonging to one 
of the party. On the following day, twenty-five or 
thirty persons made a raid on certain other lots of 
land which had been seized and a2:>propriated by the 
squatters. They rej)aired with the proper imple- 
ments to the Levee just above J Street, partially 
19 (333) 



do4 TROUBLES WITH THE SQUATTEES. 

destroyod a liouse belonging to a sqnattcr, and tlien 
shoved it over on to a large tent, also owned by a 
squatter, wliicli was standing on the adjoining lot. 
The next lot visited had been seized by a squatter 
and inclosed by a fence, which was soon demolished. 
They next commenced the work of devastation 
upon a house belonging to a squatter, erected on 
another man's land, which they completely de- 
stroyed. Quite a number of citizens witnessed the 
demolition of the buildings, but no opposition was 
offered. As the party were about dispersing, one 
of the gentlemen stated that he owned two lots on 
J Street, over the slough, upon which the squatters 
had seized, and that he would like to gain posses- 
sion of his property. The party promptly accom- 
panied him to his lots, and found that they had 
been fenced in, but no houses had been erected. 
The fences were torn down and thrown into the 
street. The object of the party having been gained, 
they left for the town. Several of the squatters 
followed them, and attracted quite a crowd by their 
vociferous shouting. Much excitement existed in 
the city. 

A few days afterward, a squatter who had taken 
possession of a lot in the outskirts of the city, was 
asked by a gentleman by what authority he ex- 
pected to hold the property on which he had 
squatted. 

"l>y preemption, of course, '^ was the reply. 
"Look here," said the gentleman, "what causes 
the ground here to be so uneven ?" 

"Why, it has been ploughed," was the answer. 



THE SQUATTERS HOLD A MEETING. 335 

" Well," continued the former, " don't you think 
the man who ploughed this land has got the start 
of you ; is he not the oldest settler ?" 

When the squatter learned that Captain Sutter 
had actually settled on the land a number of years 
previously, and had all the title he required to 
make his property secure until another government 
assumed jurisdiction, the squatter concluded the 
^oreemption law would not reach his case, and 
immediately pulled up stakes and vamosed to the 
mines. 

On the evening of the 1st of July, the squatters 
held a meeting at the Herkimer House, on Fourth 
Street. Dr. Kobinson was appointed Chairman, 
and Mr. Milligan, Secretary. The Secretary stated 
the object of the meeting, which was to make ar- 
rangements to meet the suits against them, en masse; 
each man was now defending himself, on his own 
hook; the poor could ill afford it; the meeting had 
been called to form a contract, raise a requisite 
subscription, and employ the o'lght hind of coun- 
sel. Mr. Milligan enforced his remarks with an 
eloquent appeal about the sacred right of the home- 
stead — a right which every man was bound to pro- 
tect in justice to himself, etc. After he had con- 
cluded, Mr. McClatchy offered the following reso- 
lution : 

^^ Resolved, That a committee of two be appointed 
to confer with the counsel, and inquire as to the 
terms, etc." 

Mr. Edwards thought Mr. Milligan's remarks 
cast reflection upon the counsel who had already 



336 DR. Robinson's speech. 

been employed ; lie tliouglit their counsel were the 
best, and they deserved great credit. 

The resolution was amended by increasing the 
number from two to five. 

Dr. Robinson said the Common Council had 
undertaken to legislate in regard to 2)ublic prop- 
erty — property on which no action can be taken 
except by the Legislature. He would ask "has 
the Mayor any right to say what is my property and 
what is not?" He scouted the idea of landholders 
making land for themselves. He would disregard 
the Council, notwithstanding their assumed dig- 
nity; they were destitute of common sense, and 
should be regarded accordingly. It has been 
said, " answer a fool according to his folly ;*' he 
would say "treat a fool as a fool ;" and if a man 
showed himself too low to be respected, don't re- 
spect him. For his part he looked down on the 
Council — way down — down so low that he could not 
see them. They were far out of sight of decent 
men. For his part, he meant to imitate the Mayor, 
meant to be a big squatter ! It was just as easy to 
squat on one hundred and sixty acres as on oue 
acre, and what he didn't need he would give to the 
poor squatters who are coming along by and by. 
It was as easy to defend a big piece as a small jnece, 
and far better to take it themselves than to let 
the bio- landholders s:et it and sell it. After Dr. 

o o 

Robinson had concluded his remarks, the meeting 
adjourned to give way for a spontaneous meeting of 
the whole body of squatters, and for a short time 
they made things lively. 



squatters' only aims. 337 

In about half an hour the meeting reorganized. 
Dr. Kobinson was again placed in the chair, and 
Mr. Edwards was appointed Secretary. Mr. 
McClatchy requested the reading of an article from 
the Pacific News, which was frequently interrupted 
with applause and stamping of feet. It was now 

^^ Resolved, that a committee of five be chosen, 
whose duty it shall be to confer with counsel on the 
subject of land-claims on the part of the settlers, 
and that all persons in the County of Sacramento 
who have taken, and may take up land-claims, and 
will share in the expense, shall reap the benefits." 

Mr. Burt thought going to law unnecessary, for 
the whole thing was illegal and could not be sus- 
tained. Mr. Milligan said the object was to keep 
their enemies at bay until the question could be 
brought before a legal tribunal, where justice would 
be done. He asked nothing but what was right. 
Squatters were only aiming at justice; satisfy them 
that Sutter's title w^as good, and they would leave 
the land as quick as a flea ivould jump off a hot 
griddle ! The resolution was again read and 
adopted, and the following committee appointed: 
Messrs. Wenner, Milligan, Mayhall, Plumbe and 
Canfield. An additional committee of five w^as 
then appointed to solicit subscriptions, and as a 
remuneration for their services, they were allowed 
to retain five per cent, of the amount collected. 
The committee consisted of Messrs. Milligan, Wad- 
den, Wenner, Hays and Washington. The meeting 
again adjourned to meet on the following evening. 

Pursuant to adjournment, the squatters met on 



66o RAISING MONEY NOT SO EASY 

tlie following evening. Dr. Hobinson occupied the 
eliair, and ]\Ir. luhvards acted as Secretary. The 
committee appointed at the previous meeting was 
called upon to report. Mr. Milligan, of the sub- 
scrij)tion committee, stated that the committee was 
not 3'et prepared to report, and asked for time ; but 
in answer to several questions as to the j^rogress of 
the eommittee, replied that he had been in the 
county, but had unfortunately not succeeded in 
finding the persons at home whom he went to see. 
lie had understood that the members of the com- 
mittee who had canvassed the city had done better 
than they expected. For his part, he had his 
hopes and his fears, but he believed they would 
succeed. He would do the best he could, but if 
they thought some one else would do better, he 
would willingly resign ; he had not craved the 
office ; it was no pleasant task ; he had been sent 
to a man who he was told was a brother-squatter; 
he went to see him and asked his assistance, and all 
he got from the man was the reply, " that he had 
kno^Yn people to make money by minding their 
own business !" and with this saying, the worthy 
squatter jumped on his load and moved off. As 
he said before, he craved no office, and if the meet- 
ing thought another would iiU his place better, he 
was willins: to stav at home and sit in the shade, 
and if a fly lit on his nose lie would quietly knock 
it off! 

The Secretary asked, " How much money has 
your committee obtained already?" Mr. jMilligan 
replied, " AVe are not prepared to answer definitely, 



AS RAISING A BIG TALK. 6o\) 

but think the subscriptions and cash in tlie city 
amount to |1,200. His friend, INIr. Allen, had told 
him lie knew fifteen men who would give liberally, 
probably $100 each." Mr. Milligan thought if they 
got that amount it would be a good beginning; not 
much had been done ; all that part of Squatter-row 
beyond where he lived had not been canvassed. 

The chairman. Dr. Kobinson, said that lawyers 
always like to know where their bread and butter 
is, and if the money could not all come, they would 
no doubt ask good security. Now suppose they ask 
$2,000 down and $2,000 secured, where are your 
bondsmen? Tliat must be arranged; and if the 
immigrants are expected to pay a part, some plan 
must be adopted to let them into the benelits when 
they come, by paying a fee. If this is not done, 
the immigrants, when as-kcd to subscribe for what 
has been done, may say the lawyers are a villainous 
set of scoundrels, and we will cheat them out of all 
we can anyhow. So some one ought to be respon- 
sible, that the coun^^el might feel secure. Mr. Mil- 
ligan thought the committee themselves ought to 
be the bondsmen. Mr. McClatchy thought it best 
to leave the niatter open until next meeting. He 
desired to go into the country on Sunday if he 
could steal a horse or borrow one. Sunday was a 
good day, and collecting squatter subscri})tions a 
good deed. Dr. Eobinson tendered his horse, and 
said that the animal had once made $300 on a 
similar excursion. IMi'. McClatchy accepted the 
offer. After some further desultory remarks, a 
committee of three was appointed to draft a proper 



340 WHAT A LADY SHOULD BE WORTH, 

heading for subscriptions, which would make it a 
joint-stock matter, and if any surplus should be 
subscribed over and above expenses, if should be 
divided. Mr. Mayhall was ajipointed one of said 
committee. Mr. Washington was nominated by a 
gentleman, who said he did not mean ]\Ir. Kecorder 
Washington, but Colonel Crawford AVashington; 
therefore Messrs. Mayhall, Washington, and John 
W. Carter were the committee. Mr. McClatchy 
had learned that the committee had refused to take 
a subscription of less than $25 from any individual. 
Mr. Edwards knew a lady wdio had given $25. 
Mr. Milligan thought a lady ought to be loorth $25 
in California! if she was worth anything. Mr. 
Edwards thought this a slur, and there was some 
cross-firing. After a few remarks by Mr. Plumbe, 
and a detailed history of the squatter movement by 
Mr. Edwards, the meeting adjourned. 

On the evening of July 24th, another squatter 
meeting was held at the Plerkimer House. The 
meeting organized by appointing Dr. Merrick, 
Chairman, and James McClatchy, Secretary. Dr. 
Kobinson stated the object of the meeting was to 
take into consideration the matter of lawsuits. He 
stated that the committee had employed Messrs. 
Tweed, Aldrich, Mayhall and McKune on equal 
terms — $1,000 each. These gentlemen had con- 
sented to do the settlers justice, if they would in 
turn do their j^art, and pay them a sum of money — 
which Dr. E,. did not name — in advance. If the 
issue was successful, the settlers Avere expected to do 
what they could afford to in addition to the $4,000. 



GETTING READY TO FIGHT. 341 

Of tlie subscriptions, all over i|4,000 to be common 
stock for the subscribers for their benefit as an 
association — collector to receive five per cent., and 
Mr. James McClatchy to be collector. The speaker 
said he was willing to trust Mr. McClatchy in town, 
but he Avouldn't be responsible for him when he got 
out of town ! Mr. McClatchy said he was a law- 
abiding citizen, but if these speculators were ready 
to fight, so was he. He would rather fight than 
collect subscriptions, any day ; and if they showed 
fight, give them battle, and the devil take the hind- 
most. Let us 2^ut up all the fences pulled down, 
and lyut tvp the men %olio fulled them down ! 
[Great applause and stamping.] After further 
remarks by Messrs. Kobinson, Burke, Malony and 
Edwards, the meeting adjourned. 

On the morning of August 14th the culminating 
point was reached, and the impending conflict com- 
menced. On the previous day, James McClatchy 
and Michael Moran were arrested and taken before 
Justice Fake, charged with being parties in a con- 
templated attempt to resist the Sheriff, should he 
enforce the law in accordance with a decision given 
by Judge Willis against the squatters. The testi- 
mony was against the ]3risoners, and in default of 
bail of $2,000 each, they were both confined in the 
prison-sliip. 

On the morning of the 14th, a house on Second 
Street having been seized by the Sheriff, in accord- 
ance with the law, the squatters assembled in armed 
force of about thirty, under a leader by the name 
of Malony. They proceeded to the house which 



342 MAYOK BIGELOW IN THE SADDLE. 

was in possession of the aiitlioritics and retook it. 
Their leader then liarungued them, and they pro- 
ceeded down L Street to the Levee. The party 
were armed with guns and pistols ; their leader was 
on horsehack, armed with pistols and a sword. 
They marched along the Levee toward tlie 2)rison- 
ship, a crowd of citizens gradually collecting behind 
them. The report soon spread that their intention 
was to release the prisoners confined in the prison- 
ship. 

Mayor Bigelow, who was on horseback, issued 
his orders at Warbass's corner, calling upon the 
citizens to take up their arms for the defense of the 
laws of the city and of California He then made 
the same 2:)roclamation on the opposite corner, and 
subsequently further up on J Street, opposite the 
Southern Hotel. Numbers at each place rushed 
for their arms, and began to assemble at the prison- 
ship. It seems, however, that the squatters, when 
they reached the outlet of Sutter's Lake, just above J 
Street, stoj^ped and commenced moving lumber from 
a certain lot of land. Soon, however, Malony, their 
leader, addressed them briefly, stating that the lumber 
belonged to a friend, and that he would have it re- 
moved soon. This was satisfactory to them, and 
they marched in regular order, headed by their 
captain witli drawn sword, up J Street. They were 
followed by a crowd of unarmed citizens, who 
were hooting and laughing at them. When the 
crowd of citizens reached the corner of Second and 
I Streets, one of their number stated that the 
Mayor was aiDproaching, and that they had better 



THE FIGHT BEGINS. 343 

await Lis orders. The crowd stopped and tlie 
squatters marched on, turned into Third Street and 
entered J. As the Mayor rode up to tlie citizens on 
the corner of Second and I Streets, he was asked 
what his orders were. He promptly replied, that 
he wished those men who were in arms against the 
authorities to be arrested. Three cheers were then 
given for the Mayor. Mayor Bigelow said he w^ould 
lead the party himself, and they immediately pro- 
ceeded after the squatters. The squatters, mean- 
while, had turned into J Street and were marching 
out. AVhen on the corner of Fourth Street, Ma- 
lony, their captain, turned around, and seeing the 
Mayor, Sheriff and several armed citizens after them, 
commanded his men to halt. 

They drew uj) in line across Fourth Street, facing 
on J Street, with their leader on the right. The 
Mayor and Sheiiff rode up and commanded the 
squatters to lay dow^n their arms and deliver 
themselves up as prisoners. As the citizens were 
aj^proaching, Malony commanded his men to fire, 
and said distinctly : "Shoot the Mayor; shoot the 
Mayor r The squatters leveled their guns and 
fired. Some of their guns, however, w^ere j)ointed 
several feet over the heads of the citizens ; while 
others were aimed lower and took more deadly 
effect. A general free fight ensued, in which there 
was firing on both sides. After the squatters had 
fired their guns, they drew their pistols; but the 
citizens rushed upon them, wdien they broke and 
dispersed. 

At the first fire. Mayor Bigelow, who, throughout 



344 THE MAYOR SEVERELY WOUXDED. 

the ^vllolo afTair, sliowcd liiinsclf a brave and deter- 
miiiecl man, Avas woiuulcd very dangerously. One 
ball glaneed his cheek; another passed into his 
thigh ; one tore his thumb badly and shattered the 
bones of his liand, and the fourth jnodueed the 
most serious wound of all. The ball jxissed through 
liis body, in the region of the liver. After he ^Yas 
shot, he fell upon the neek of his horse. The 
horse started, and he was enabled to hold himself 
ujion his baek a short time, Avhen he fell to the 
ground, lie arose, however, walked a few steps 
and dro2'>ped on the ground. He then said that the 
citizens must protect their city themselves, for he 
was disal)led and could do no more. He was borne 
to the CoUuubia Hotel, where he received the best 
medical attendance. 

Mr. J. ]\I. Woodland, City Assessor, was also shot. 
He did not speak after he fell, and survived but a 
few moments. The ball i>assed through his body, 
on the left side. Ko citizen was more respected 
than ^Ir. Woodland, and few were more useful. 

Malony, captain of the squatters, was also shot 
dead. He received three wounds ; one in the arm, 
one in the baek and one through the head, which 
caused almost instantaneous death. A man by the 
name of Jesse IMorgan was also killed by a shot 
through the neek. He was from Holmes County, 
Ohio, and had but recently arrived with his wife 
and one child. He was proin-ietor of the Oak 
Grove House. One other person was killed on the 
side of the squatters, name unknown. In addition 
to Mayor Bigelow, the wounded were Dr. Charles 



THE KILLED AND WOUNDED. 345 

Eobinson, a leading squatter, from Fitcliburg, Mas- 
saclmsetts. He was badly though not mortally 
wounded in the left side, the ball passing through 
liis body. He was 2)laced on a cot and taken to 
the prison-ship. Mr. J. H. Harper, of Independ- 
ence, Missouri, was also wounded. He exhibited 
great bravery, facing the squatters, and after firing 
off the barrels of his revolver, he threw it at them, 
whereupon they fired on him. He was wounded 
in both hands while they were placed across liis 
breast to protect it from the shots of the squatters. 
A ball which passed through one hand, glanced 
against his side and produced a slight wound. Mr. 
Harper, though severely hurt, was not mortally 
wounded. Mr. Hale, of the firm of Crowell, Hale 
& Co., on J Street, was wounded slightly in the leg 
by a musket-ball. A child of Mr. Eogers, of the 
firm of Burnett & Kogers, was also slightly wounded 
in the leg. 

During the fight there were four persons killed, 
and five wounded. Of those killed, three were 
squatters, and one of the citizens j)arty. Of the 
wounded, four were of the citizens party, and one 
was a squatter. 

Sheriff McKinney showed himself, through the 
whole affray, every inch a man. A squatter who 
was armed with a revolver, deliberately aimed at 
the Sheriff and discharged six balls at him, none 
of which, fortunately, took effect. Dr. White, Ke- 
corder Washington, Mr. Kutli and Dr. Pearis also 
acquitted themselves nobly. 

Assessor Woodland was buried on the following 



346 THE sheriff's expedition. 

clay, and after the funeral, Sheriff McKinney and 
about twenty others, pi-oceeded out toward Sutter's 
Fort. AVlien the party arrived at the Fort, the 
Sheriff stated that he intended to go out to tlie 
Five-Mile House, and arrest any squatters that he 
could find, either there or further on, if it should be 
to Mormon Island. Some of the party, not knowing 
the Sheriff's object when they started, were entirely 
unarmed, and one man left and rode back to town. 
The others armed themselves. The Sheriff then 
drew up the party in rank of four, and in this order 
they j)i'oceeded in a quick gallo]) out to the Five- 
Mile House. The Sheriff, however, learned noth- 
ing there. The party jn-oceeded on toward the 
Pavilion, but, before arriving there, they were met 
by a man who informed the Slieriff that a party of 
squatters were located at "Allen's," two or three 
houses beyond the Pavilion. 

The Sheriff thereupon commanded a hah, and 
sent two men forward to the house. "While tliese 
men were absent, the Sheriff drew up his small 
force in line, and divided them into three squads 
of six men each. One squad was under the com- 
mand of General Winn and another under Mr. 
Eobinson. The Sheriff's orders were that one 
l)arty should approach the house from the left, Mr. 
Robinson's party w^ere to approach it from the 
risrht and General AYinn's in front. Thus the 
parties proceeded, Slieriff McKinncy taking charge 
of General Winn's division. When they reached 
the front of the house, the Sheriff called upon the 
men, in a jocose manner, to dismount and take a 



THE SHERIFF KILLED. 347 

drink. He, witli several others, entered the liouse, 
while the balance of the squad were hitching their 
horses. Upon finding men in an adjoining room, 
armed and ready to receive him, he commanded 
them to lay down their arms. The squatters re- 
plied Avith a volley. There were eight or ten 
squatters in the liouse. A general melee then en- 
sued, and brisk firing was kept up by both parties 
for a few minutes. Shots passed in and out of the 
windows and the door, and constant firing w^as 
going on in the house. In the confusion, Sheriff 
McKinney had gotten out of the house, and as he 
was standing near the front door, a tall man fired 
at him from the inner room. He had a long gun 
loaded with buck-shot. The aim was too sure, and 
Sheriff McKinney w^as shot. He raised both hands 
and said three times, "rm dead, Fm dead, I'm 
dead." While he was repeating the foregoing, he 
"walked about ten steps and then fell dead. 

Just after the tall man shot the Sheriff, Dr. Bry- 
arly, v/ho was near, aimed his pistol at him and 
fired. The ball probably took effect, for the man 
dropped his gun and fell over. In the melee, two 
squatters named Kelly and Henshaw, wdio fired 
from behind the bar, were shot dead. Captain 
Radford was severely wounded in the forearm, the 
bones being broken. Four prisoners were captured 
and taken to the Pavilion. During the firing, 
Ca]3tain Hamersley w^as thrown from his horse and 
injured in the back. One of the prisoners was then 
taken to town under guard, and parties proceeded to 
the city to inform the citizens of the state of aftairs. 



348 MUSTEK-EOLL OF COMPANY A, 

The first reinforcement that reached the Pavilion 
from the city, was a party of ten men led by ]Mr. 
Lundy. The second was a party of twelve men 
led by Mr. Tracy. General Winn formed them in 
line and made a brief address. The three remain- 
ing prisoners were j^h^ced in an omnibus, together 
with Captain Radford and the remains of Sheriff 
McKinney, and a guard of horsemen accompanied 
the omnibus to the city. The names of the prisoners 
in the omnibus were John Hughes, James R. Coff- 
man and William B. Cornogg. The body of the 
Sheriff was left at Sutter's Fort, and the prisoners 
were conveyed down J Street, along Front, to the 
prison-shiji. 

On the part of the authorities. Sheriff McKinney 
was killed and Caj^tain Radford wounded, not mor- 
tally. On the part of the squatters, two were killed 
and two w^ounded, and four were taken prisoners. 

Dr. Bryarly, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Milne, Mr.Creal, 
Mr. Bruce and an unknown German gave evidence 
of great bravery during the affray. 

In a few hours after the outbreak of the 14th, 
Company A was formed and reported ready for 
duty. The following is the muster-roll of the 
Com23any : Captain, Jeremiah Sherwood ; First 
Lieutenant, Lewis Smith; Senior Second Lieu- 
tenant, J.Weatherspoon ; Junior Second Lieutenant, 
Lyman B. Munson ; Orderly Sergeant, George Lat- 
tie ; Second Sergeant, B. Phinney ; Third Sergeant, 
Geo. H. Buckley ; Fourth Sergeant, John Mason ; 
First Corporal, George King; Second Corporal, 
Edward Corigan ; lliird Corporal, John Mattin ; 



AND OF THE "SACRAMENTO GUARD." 349 

Fourth Corporal, Lyman Bates ; Jlusician, James 
Lattie ; Privates, Thomas Kinney, George Graliam, 
Andrew Bell, Jr., John Smith, E. Seymour, John 
R. Dickenson, James Burns, John Tinson, M. 
Henderson, John H. Underhill, Henry M. Jewett, 
Henry F. Beadle, Charles L. H. Long, Henry 
Coverdale, Charles Gordon, James Northrop, T. G. 
Hewlett, James Evans, J. AY. Honrer, T. Wilson, 
John Wilson, E. McGinnis, William Shifmire, C.W. 
Coats, F. N. MeCron, James Funston, James Hen- 
man, Albert Morgan, Jesse Toby, Edward Bestwick, 
Lewis A. Barnes, S. B. El well, Martin Metzger, 
Henry Bosenbaum, Kobert Clark, J. S. Applegate, 
John Duncan, M. G. Whitlock, Eichard Clark, 
Isaac M. Yearley. 

On the evening of the same day, another company 
was organized under the name of " The Sacramento 
Guard," and the following officers were elected: 
Captain, David McDowell; First Lieutenant, Henry 
Hale ; Second Lieutenants, W. FI. Crowell, James 
Queen ; Sergeants, First, H. G. Langley ; Second, 
B. B. Gore ; Third, C. C. Flagg ; Fourth, W. H. 
Talmage ; Corporals, First, L. J. Wilder ; Second, 
G. L. Hewitt ; Third, T. H. Borden ; Fourth, W, 
E. Moody; Clerk, W. B. McCracken; Privates, 
sixty-five. 

After Mayor Bigelow had fiillen, the Common 
Council assembled and ^^laced Recorder Washington 
at the head of the police of the city. The Council 
then granted him authority to raise any number of 
men not to exceed five hundred. It was also voted 
that Mr. Demas Strong, President of Council, should 

20 



350 BILL FOR MEDICAL ATTENDANCE, ETC. 

assume tlie duties of Mayor, and that the rest of the 
Council should arm and place themselves under 
Recorder AVashington. Coroner P. F. Ewer as- 
sumed the duties of Sheriff. 

On examination of the wounds of Mayor Bi2;elow, 
it was deemed advisable to amputate his thumb, and 
the oi^eration was performed by Dr. Birdsall. Sub- 
sequently mortification set in, and the Mayor was 
removed to San Francisco, wdiere his arm was 
am2:)utated. For nursing, etc., after the operation 
had been performed, the following modest bill was 
presented to the Common Council of Sacramento 
City — female labor in California being at a pre- 
mium, as will be seen by the last item of the bill : 

San Francisco, Nov. 29th, 1850. 
Hon. H. Bigelow, Mayor of Sacramento City, 

To J. W. Stillman, Dr. 
For Cash advanced for sundries during his illness at 

my house, . $480.00 

" Cash paid for wasJiing clothes soiled by his wounds, 165.00 
" Five weeks' use of best and largest room in house, 

@ $100 per week, 500.00 

" One carpet, ruined by chloride of lime, used in 

sick-room, ....... 77.00 

" Cash paid for pair of boots, .... 16.00 

" Sundries, bandages, extra candles, extra refresh- 
ments, wines, etc., for self and attendants at 

night, etc., five weeks, 500.00 

" Five weeks' attendance of Mrs. Stillman, night and 

day, 500.00 

Total, . . $2,238.00 
Sheriff McKinney was buried on the IGth, and 



FUNERAL OF THE SHERIFF. 351 

the obsequies were very impressive. His funeral, 
although it took place from Sutter's Fort, was very 
largely attended, not only by friends on horseback 
and in carriages, but by large numbers on foot. 
The Common Council had the general charge of the 
obsequies, but the body was buried with Masonic 
honors, and was under the immediate charge of the 
brethren of the Order. They preceded the hearse, 
which was followed by a long file of carriages. The 
militia, under Captain Sherwood, came next, and 
then about a hundred citizens on horseback. The 
ceremonies at the grave were conducted in an elo- 
quent and feeling manner by Judge Willis, and after 
the cofiin was deposited in its final resting-place, 
many were the sprigs of evergreen that were thrown 
into the grave — silent, eloquent tokens of the fellow- 
ship of numerous brethren. His afflicted wife and 
bereaved relatives stood at the edge of the grave ; 
their grief and the solemn ceremonial hushed the 
crowd to breathless silence and brought tears to 
many eyes. Silently the body was deposited ; the 
prayer was offered ; the responses rose from hearts 
touched with sympathy, and the crowd departed, 
leaving behind them the remains of one whose name 
will ever live in the memory of every true lover of 
the common weal of California. 

Late in the summer, intelligence reached Sacra- 
mento City, that great suffering existed among the 
overland immigrants. Public meetings were held, 
a relief committee organized, money subscribed, 
provisions purchased, and trains dispatched for the 
relief of tlie sufferers. The first meeting, started 



352 THE AUTHOR BIDS ADIEU TO OALIFORNI . 

almost imi:>romptu by Colonel Jolin Bigler, without 
previous notice or regular organization, was largely 
attended, and the following amounts subscribed for 
their relief: 
Captain Wm. Waldo, .... $1,000 

B.Jennings, 1,000 

Thos. J. Henley, 100 

M. Walthall, 100 

K. J. Watson & Co., .... 250 

S. P. Dewey, 100 

W.W.Warner, 50 

Cash paid on the spot, .... 200 

William Kightmire, one good mule. 

Several smaller sums were also subscribed, amount- 
ing in the aggregate to several hundred dollars. 

Late in the month of August, with the following 
"Character" — from the editorial columns of the 
Transcript — in my ^^ocket, I bade farewell to Sac- 
ramento City and turned my face homeward : 

Departure op Mr. Upham. — The next steamer for tlie 
States will boar from us cue who was with us iu the commence- 
ment of our enterprise, and whose judgment and business talent 
have been to us of incalculable benefit. We allude to JNIr. 
Upham. Our acquaintance with him was accidental. We 
became partners almost at first sight, but never did we find 
occasion to regret for a moment the unbounded confidence we 
always reposed iu him. He leaves us while we are mourning 
the death, iu our midst, of one of the noblest of men — thus 
adding to our sorrow and depriving us of another member of 
our fomily. Verily, the friendship which springs up between 
business men iu this country is unlike the general acquaint- 
anceship of other lands, which is laid aside without any appar- 
ent regret, and resumed only when politic or convenient. 



i 



AND LEAVES FOR HOME. 353 

Here, our partners in business form our social circles, and when 
one of a business firm retires, it is like dismembering a family. 
Mr. Upham came to California prepared to commence at 
the bottom of the ladder, and climb slowly but surely up. 
Like most new-comers, he went to the mines and dug. His 
health failed him, and he returned to San Francisco late in the 
fall of last year. After a few days of unsuccessful effort to 
get into business, he finally secured the situation of carrier of 
the Pacific News. His fine capacity soon attracted the atten- 
tion of his employers, who selected him to keep the books and 
transact the business of the establishment. It was there we 
found him. After living with us four months, he leaves us in 
our new home, and possibly we shall not see him again for 
years, if ever. But wherever he is, Ave shall not forget the 
qualities that have so conduced to our enjoyment and forwarded 
our business. We sincerely wish him a speedy return to his 
family and success in the business in which he may hereafter 
engage. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

Down the Sacramento on the steamer Senator — San Francisco 
in the fall of 1850 — Farewell, San Francisco — Homeward 
bound — The steamer Columbus — Captain Peck — Incidents 
on board — Arrival at Acapulco — Scenes on shore — Conflict 
of anthority — Overland emigrants via City of Mexico — 
Arrival at Panama — Go ashore pig-a-back — Immersion 
without the benefit of clergy — Panama in 1850 — Two of 
the Columbus's passengers die of cholera. 

I ENGAGED passage on board the steamer Senator. 
She made a fine run down the Sacramento, crossed 
Suisun Bay, and after exchanging passengers at Be- 
nicia, threaded her way through the Straits of Car- 
quincz and entered San Pablo Bay. I retired early, 
and at daylight on the following morning, found 
myself alongside the steamboat wharf at Clark's 
Point. After removing my baggage to the City 
Hotel, I took a stroll about the city ; but old things 
had passed away, and all things, comparatively 
S2:>eaking, had become new. During an absence 
of four months from San Francisco, a wonderful 
change had taken place. 

The most populous part of the city had, within 
that time, twice fallen a prey to that devouring ele- 
ment — fire. New and tasteful brick structures had 
superseded the frail «cZoi?>e and wooden tenements; 
the streets and sidewalks had been planked ; piers 
and wharves, extending across the mud-flats fixr into 
the bay, had been constructed ; in fact, the city had 

(354) 



FAREWELL, «AN FEANCISCO. 357 

put Oil an entirely new dress. Happy Valley, wliicli, 
four months previously, contained scarcely half a 
dozen frame huildings, now boasted as many hun- 
dreds. Verily, this El Dorado is a wonderl'ul coun- 
try; and San Francisco, despite clouds of dust and 
chilly afternoons, is destined to become the second 
city on this continent. Farewell, Han Francisco I 

"Thy beautiful harbor, proud golden-gcnimcd Queen, 
Is rivalled by none the world has e'er seeu !" 

We will now stcji on l)oard the steamship 
Columbus, commanded by that prince of caj)tains, 
J. B. Peck. At six o'clock on an August after- 
noon, amid the adieus of friends who had assembled 
to see me off, the scramble among trunks, bugs and 
other luggage, the Columbus cast off her bow and 
stern lines — the last physical tie that bound me to 
California — swung into the stream and was soon 
puffing out of the harbor under a full head of steam. 

As the shipping in the harbor receded from my 
view, the little hamlet of Soucileto, nestling quietly 
among the hills on the opposite side of the bay, 
hove in sight, but was soon lost in the dim distance. 
As the Columbus approached tlie Golden Gate, she 
bounded gayly over the water, impatient to reach 
the bi'oad bosom of the Pacific. I shall never for- 
get the memories that crowded my brain as 1 i)assed 
through the Golden Gate homeward-bound. When 
I entered the harbor of San Francisco, on board the 
brig Osceola, thirteen months previously, feelings of 
a far different nature occu})ied my mind. The dif- 
ference between an outward and a homeward-bound 



358 CROWDED OUT OF MY STATE-EOOM. 

voyage can be appreciated only by those who have 
experienced both. 

Early in the evening, I threaded my way between 
market-baskets, trunks and camjD-stools to my state- 
room, cogitating, as I passed along, upon the glories 
of a night's rest between clean sheets, but 

" This world is all a fleeting show," 

and all things sublunary are very uncertain, as 
the case in question will illustrate. On reaching 
state-room F, I was taken all aback by fniding 
it stowed with strange baggage. I could, in fact, 
find anything but my own goods and chattels. The 
cabin-maid soon made her appearance, and entered 
into an explanation of matters. Women generally 
carry their point, and it so happened in this case, 
although the justice of the matter seemed to me 
rather questionable. It ai^peared, upon investiga- 
tion, that tw^o individuals of the male persuasion, 
occupying state-room E had surrendered their 
quarters to a gentleman and his wife, and during 
the absence of myself and room-mate, had taken 
possession of state-room F. I endeavored to con- 
vince them of the injustice of their j^roceedings, but 
it was of no use, and as a lady was involved in the 
case, I accepted a berth in state-room B and droj)ped 
the subject. My room-mates were a Mr. Clarkson, 
of San Jose, and Mr. Tittle, ex-Postmaster of Sac- 
ramento City ; both bound to the States for their 
better-halves and little ones. 

There were forty-two cabin and one hundred and 
seventy-six steerage j^assengers on board the Colum- 



BICKERINGS END DELIGHTFULLY. 3G1 

bus, aiul when all were congregated on deck, there 
was not much spare room. At the commencement 
of the voyage, petty jealousies and bickerings 
existed between the cabin and steerage passengers 
in relation to their rights to the hurricane or 
promenade deck. On the fourth day at sea a line 
was stretched across the deck abaft the mizzen- 
mast by the cabin jDassengers, and the steerage pas- 
sengers were requested to keep forward of the line. 
This movement on the part of the cabin passengers 
was taken in high dudgeon by their brethren of tlie 
steerage, and a war of words ensued, interlarded 
with einthets more forcible than polite. On the 
ensuing evening a meeting was convened in the 
cabin, and after a free discussion of grievances on 
both sides, it wound up to the entire satisfaction of 
all concerned, with champagne and cigars for the 
crowd. 

A^^e were favored with fine weather and a smooth 
sea until we reached the Gulf of California, where 
.we encountered head-winds and cross-seas for sev- 
enty hours, during which time a majority of the pas- 
sengers paid the requisite tribute to old Neptune by 
casting up their accounts. Mr. Tittle was decidedly 
opposed to a nautical life. He was of the opinion 
that life on the plains was far preferable to a 

" Life on the ocean wave." 

We ran down the coast of Mexico with the land 
close aboard. The coast was bluff and abru]3t, j^re- 
senting in many places a highly picturesque appear- 



362 



AIRY COSTUMES. 



anee ; and, in the distaiiee, tlio Cortlilleras raised 
their snow-capped lie;uls majestically to the skies. 

On the aftenuion ot" Angust 2C)th, the Columbus 
dropped her anchor in tlie harbor of Acapulco, 
near the shore, and immediately in front of the 
Plaza. The port officer had scarcely left us before 
Ave "were surrounded by a llect of small l)oats of 
almost every conceivable style of architecture, from 
the rude Indian canoe or hu)i(jo to the clinker-built 
Avhale-boat. Several of the passengers availed them- 
selves of the opportunity offered by the numerous 
water-craft alongside, and went on shore to spend 
the night. A majority, however, myself among the 
number, having the fear of cholera before their 
eyes, concluded to remain on board during the night, 
and visit the shore next morning. After supper I 
seated myself on the hurricane deck and chewed the 
cud of reflection over the end of a cheroot until the 
cathedral bell tolled the hour of midnight. 1 then 
went below and Avas soon locked hard and fast in 
the embrace of Morpheus. 

At sunrise next morning, I went ashore, accom- 
panied by a couple of Iriends, for the purpose of 
seeing the sights in Acapulco. The first object 
that met my eye on reaching the shore, was a group 
of Mexican children gamboling along the gravelly 
beach, in a state of perfect nudity, and as I passed 
through the city toward the Fort, I saw several 
" children of a larger growth " attired in the same 
airy costume. In the vicinity of the Fort, I saw 
several soldiers with no otlier uniibrm than a cotton 
shirt, glazed l\\\> with a red bobbin, and a rusty 



ACAPULCO, STKEETS AND HOUSES, 363 

musket. I once saw at Gibraltar a company of 
Highlanders with bare legs and broadswords, which 
I considered a breezy uniform, but the costume of 
the Acapulco soldiers caps the climax. 

The city of Acapulco is situated on the north- 
east side of the bay, and is surrounded on three sides 
by a range of mountains towering to the skies, and 
clothed to their summits with cactus and chaparral. 
Along the beach and throughout the suburbs of 
the city, the symmetrical cocoanut tree, with its 
long sword-shaped leaves and clusters of fruit, rears 
its head in all its majesty, affording shade and 
shelter as well as food for the natives. The city is 
mostly built on two streets, each about three-fourths 
of a mile in length, and running parallel with the 
bay shore. The buildings, with tlie excei^tion of 
the cathedral, are only one-story high and are 
mostly constructed of adobes, with tile or thatched 
roofs. The street leading from the Plaza to the 
Fort, is paved with blocks of granite and sandstone. 
The other streets are graveled, and a stream of pure 
water is continually running along the gutters, 
giving them a clean and cool ap2)earance. TJie 
houses in most cases are Ivhitewashed inside and 
out ; and the city, taken all in all, presents a cleanly 
appearance. It contains about 3,500 inhabitants, 
mostly Mexicans. The Bay of Acapulco is easy of 
access, com2)letely landlocked, and is considered 
one of the safest harbors on the Pacific coast. 

After having viewed the Fort, an ancient adobe 
and sandstone structure, we visited the house of an 
old KScotchman, who had, some thirty years pre- 



3G4 EMBARRASSING SITUATION. 

viously, married a native wife and became Mexi- 
canized. Immediately on landing, we had ordered 
a breakfast of chickens, eggs, milk and chocolate. 
The sanitary committee had tabooed milk during 
the prevalence of the cholera in the city ; but 
chickens and eggs in abundance were set before us, 
to all of which we did ample justice. Chickens 
and fresh eggs were most assuredly a great luxury 
to those who had been deprived of them for nearly 
fifteen months. 

During the early part of the day. Captain Peck 
watered and coaled the Columbus, and at four 
o'clock, P. M., the sound of her signal-gun came 
booming over the bay, the summons for the pas- 
sengers to repair on board. A general stampede 
was made for the boats on the beach, and several 
were filled and about to shove off, when a file of 
soldiers emerged from the guard-house close by 
and ordered the boatmen not to enter their boats. 
A pretty state of afiairs now presented itself The 
Columbus had fired her signal-gun and would most 
likely get under way within half an hour, whether 
the passengers were on board or not, and a taboo 
had been placed on all the boats. Some cursed the 
boatmen ; others remonstrated with the soldiers, 
and endeavored to ascertain the cause of the deten- 
tion ; but they shook their heads and said they " 7W 
sabe Americano." However, we were not kept long 
in suspense. The soldiers, headed by a nervous 
little citizen with a small black stick in his right 
hand, which he was constantly twirling about in a 
fidgety manner, approached two of the passengers. 



THE TWO JONAHS. 3G5 

who had, (luring the passage, j^roven themselves to 
belong to the sporting fraternity, and requested 
them to accompany him to the office of the Alcalde; 
but as they were decidedly opposed to being escorted 
through the city by an armed guard, they peremp- 
torily declined the honor and retreated toward the 
boats. The soldiers cocked their muskets and com- 
manded them to stand. One of the gamblers drew 
his revolver and threatened to shoot the first hombre 
that approached to arrest either himself or partner. 
The pistol cooled the ardor of the soldiers to such a 
degree, that the gamblers were allowed to seize a 
boat and make their escape to the steamer. 

It appeared, from subsequent investigation, that 
the cause of the attemj^t to arrest grew out of a 
melee which had occurred at a gambling-table in 
the American Hotel on the previous night. The 
gamblers said that the proprietors of the monte 
bank used waxed cards, and attempted to come the 
" draw game" on them ; and they, as a set-off, came 
the "grab game" on the funds of the bank, which 
caused an order to be issued for their arrest and 
trial before the Alcalde. The escape of the gam- 
blers on board the Columbus was rej^orted to the 
American consul, avIio immediately went on board 
and stated the circumstances of the case to Captain 
Peck, who, in his usual bland manner, informed the 
two " sporting gentlemen" that they could have the 
choice of either being confined in irons on board 
the steamer, or of going ashore in the custody of the 
consul. After a few moments' consultation, they 
concludeil to go ashore and stand their trial before 



36G A PAKTY OF GEOEGIANS. 

the Alcalde, Judge Pratt, of Oregon, a passenger 
on board the steamer Caroline, having volunteered 
to act as their counsel in the ease. As soon as the 
2:)risoncrs were put upon their trial, my two friends 
and myself engaged a hungo and went on board the 
steamer. We had scarcely reached the deck before 
the anchor was hoisted and the Columbus was 
steaming out of the harbor, leaving the gamblers 
and three or four of the passengers, who had been 
detained as witnesses, to the tender mercies of the 
Mexican authorities. Poor fellows ; they were 
caught in bad com2:>any, and will learn a lesson that 
will no doubt be of future service to them. 

AVliile in Acapulco, I made the acquaintance of 
a party of Georgians, bound for California, who 
came by the way of Vera Cruz and the City of 
Mexico. Two of the party w^ere brought into the 
city by the natives, on litters, having been taken 
sick on the road. One had been attacked with 
cholera, and was in a critical state ; the other was 
recovering from an attack of dysentery. AVhen 
this party left Vera Cruz, on the last of July, the 
cholera was rairins: there to an alarmins; extent. 
The City of Mexico was quite healthy when they 
jnissed through it. They saw several guerrilla bands 
on the route, but they were peaceably disj^osed. 
They performed the journey between the City of 
Mexico and Acapulco, a distance of 100 leagues, in 
eleven days. They report the streams very nuich 
swollen and the road very rough. 

The steamer Tennessee left Acapulco on the even- 
ing the Columbus arrived, bound for San Francisco, 



MORE LUCKY THAN MY FRIENDS. 367 

with oiily twenty passengers on board. The steamer 
Caroline, from San Francisco, arrived at Acapulco 
some ten hours ahead of the Columbus. We had 
a smooth sea and a delightful run between Acapulco 
and Panama, where we arrived on the evening of 
September 4th, eight days from the former place. 
The weather, with the exception of an occasional 
shower, was pleasant, and we had a very agreeable 
passage. The health of the passengers was re- 
markably good during the entire passage. Tlie 
Caroline arrived in Panama fifteen minutes ahead 
of the Columbus. 

At six o'clock, A. M., on September 5th, I tum- 
bled myself and baggage into a boat, bade the 
Columbus adieu, and in about half an hour there- 
after found myself on the shoulders of a native, who 
w^as 23ropelling through the surf as fast as his powers 
of locomotion would admit of. He landed me on 
the beach, in front of the city-gate, high and dry, 
safe and sound ; damages, $4, including boat-hire. 
My friend, Bowditch, formerly attached to the 
steamer Governor Dana, was less fortunate than 
myself. The hombre, whom he undertook to ride 
ashore pig-a-back, unhorsed him — perhaps, un- 
manned would be the better word — in three feet of 
water on a coral reef, and left him floundering in 
the surf. He succeeded, however, in reaching the 
shore, amid the shouts of the assembled darkies. 
Ex-Postmaster Tittle also received an immersion 
without the benefit of clergy, at the hands of a 
boatman. The hombre who carried me through the 
surf, seemed extremely anxious to treat me to a salt- 



oG8 THKEE DAYS IN PANAMA. 

water bath, but I caiiglit him by the ears, deter- 
mined to bring: his head under water shoukl he 
submerge me. I woukl advise all persons going 
ashore at Panama, to land at the Market-steps, 
tlicreby avoiding a ride tlirough the surf on the 
back of a negro, and also the probability of wet 
inexpressibles. 

At the sohcitation of a friend, I accomj^anied him 
to the American Hotel, kept by an American sea- 
captain, but neither the house nor its proprietor 
realized my expectations, and, after having j^ar- 
taken of a miserably-served breakfast, I removed 
my baggage to the Louisiana Kestaurant, near the 
gate on the Cruces road, wdiere I remained during 
the three days I sojourned in Panama. I cannot 
recommend tliis house too highly to persons travel- 
ing either to or from California. During my stay in 
Panama, I visited the barracks and prison ; viewed 
the cruml)ling wall, in all its meauderings, that sur- 
rounds the city ; inspected the large dismantled 
guns on the battery fronting the bay; and last, 
though not least, visited several of the ancient and 
dilapidated churches, that at one time were the 
pride of the city. 

The Padres of Panama possess a wonderful jDen- 
chant for cock-fighting, at any and all times, Sun- 
days not excepted, and Avliat they don't know about 
game-cocks, gaffs and spurs, it would be useless to 
learn. 

During my stay in Panama, two of the Colum- 
bus's passengers — Benj. F. Browne, of New York, 
and Eandolph Scott, of Texas — died of cholera. 



DEATH OF TWO PASSENGKRS. 369 

The best medical attendance was jDrocured, and tliey 
received every attention at the hands of their 
fellow-passengers, but human aid was of no avail. 
They died in a foreign land, far away from home 
and kindred. 



21 



CHAPTER XXII. 

Leave Panama — To Cruces on mule back — Down tlie Chagres 
River in a bungo — Deaths by cholera en route — Mr, and 
Mrs. Gillingham — Go on board the steamship Falcon — 
Deaths by cholera — Burial at sea — Arrival at Havana — 
An afternoon and night on shore — Take passage on the 
steamship Ohio for New York — Arrival at New York — 
Departure for Philadelphia — Home again, 

Hayixg learned from the agent in Panama, tliat 
the steamship Falcon would leave Chagres on the 
loth of Se2:>tember, thirteen of the Columbus's pas- 
sengers, including myself, formed a party to cross 
the Isthmus, and, on the morning of the Gth, held 
a meeting at the Louisiana Restaurant, appointed a 
committee to engage mules and caterers to provide 
provisions for the journey, and early on the morning 
of the 8th, we mounted our animals in front of the 
restaurant, and started for Cruces, distant 22 miles. 
The first six or eight miles of our journey was over 
what the natives termed a mucha bueno road, but 
the balance of the road was mucha malo in the 
stronirest sense of the term. I hired two mules at 
$16 each. On one of the animals I j^acked my 
trunk and the other I rode. 

Belonging to our party were Mr. and Mrs. R. P. 
Gillingham, of Philadelphia. Mrs. Gillingham 

(370) 



1 



DIFFICULTIES OF MULE-EIDING. 371 

having neglected to provide herself with a Bloomer 
costume, had either to ride a mule attired in her 
usual dress and take the chances of being dumped 
into the first slough she attempted to cross, or 
submit to the novel mode of riding on the back of 
a nude native, lashed in a chair. She adopted the 
latter mode of conveyance, and arrived safely at 
Cruces. Mr. Gillingham had arrived in San Fran- 
cisco early in August, and at the expiration of two 
weeks his courage had so completely oozed out that 
he engaged passage for himself and wife on the first 
homeward-bound steamer. 

Our pack-mules were addicted to the annoying 
habit of turnino; their loads whenever it suited 
their inclination, which caused us to scold the 
muleteers in bad Spanish, and the muleteers to 
belabor and curse the mules in a manner that 
proved them to be no novices at the business. Any 
one who has heard an Isthmus muleteer swear 
must be thoroughly convinced that profanity is his 
chief stock in trade. One of our party had the 
misfortune to bestride a recreant mule, probably a 
lineal descendant of the donkey chastised by Balaam, 
which bolted into the woods, threw his rider, and 
bruised him quite severely. I had the good fortune 
to select a gentler, though a very small animal, 
somewhat larger than a Sacramento grandfather 
rat, and he carried me safely to Cruces. As we 
commenced ascendins: the mountains the road 2:rew 
worse, and we made very slow progress. 

Nio-ht overtook us at a ranch 8 miles from 
Cruces, where we tied up until morning. I drank 



372 THREE SADDLE-MULES VAMOSE. 

two cups of a yillainous compound called coffee, and 
turned into a grass hammock, which 

" Swung loose at the sport of the wiud ;" 

but, owing to the combined attacks of an army of 
mosquitoes and fleas, I slept very little during the 
night. 

In the early part of the evening, one of the 
Columbus's passengers w^as attacked with cholera, 
but, owing to good nursing during the night, he 
was able to be transported on a litter to Cruces next 
day. At daylight we awoke the muleteers and 
sent them after the animals. They returned about 
eight o'clock with all the mules except three, which 
they said had vamosed to Panama during the night. 
The delinquents j)i"Oved to be saddle animals; 
consequently three of the party had either to engage 
fresh mules, which was no easy matter, or walk to 
Cruces. They concluded to adopt the latter course ; 
but after walking two miles they engaged mules at 
a ranch and overtook us as we were entering Cruces 
at eleven o'clock, A. M. 

At a ranch, 6 miles from Cruces, we saw the 
corj)se of Thomas Kobinson, of Illinois. Mr. Ilobin- 
son died of cholera two hours previous to our 
arrival. While w^e were at the ranch, a friend 
returned with medicine for the sick man, but it 
came too late. We buried him under a large tree 
near the roadside. 

We spent the afternoon making arrangements for 
our passage to Chagres on the following day. My- 
self and four others chartered a large bungo for f 50, 



FEOM CRUCES TO CH AGUES. 373 

to convey ourselves and baggage to Cliagres. The 
owner of the hungo swore by all the saints in the 
Spanish calendar, that he woidd be ready to start 
down the river at daylight next morning ; and with 
this assurance we retired for tiie' night. Friend 
Tittle and myself spread our blankets on the 
ground-floor of a bamboo hut, and turned in fur a 
night's rest ; but owing to a carnival held by the 
fleas over our bodies, Ave slept very little. Next 
morning our party was at the hungo at the appointed 
hour, but the boatman had not arrived. We soon 
found him, however, and at six o'clock, A. M., we 
shoved into the stream, and the current in a few 
moments hurried us out of sight of Cruces. We 
passed Gorgona early in the morning, and at one 
o'clock, P. M., dined at the ranch of the '' Two 
Brothers," situated about halfway between Cruces 
and Cliagres. Soon after leaving this place, tlie 
rain descended in torrents. It appeared as though 
the flood-gates of heaven were open. Had not two 
of our party kept constantly bailing the hungo 
during the shower, it certainly would have been 
swamped. When the rain ceased, the sun shone 
forth in all its splendor, and during the remainder 
of the day we were as comfortable as the circum- 
stances of our case would admit of. A wet jacket 
at any time is unpleasant, but as this was the first 
and only shower experienced during our journey 
across the Isthmus, we bore up under it man- 
fully, and considered that we had been highly 
favored by the elements. We reached Cliagres at 



0/4 ANOTHER DISArPOINTMENT. 

six o'clock, r. I\[., Imving made the run down the 
river in twelve hours, including stoppages. 

On the passage down the river, I saw several 
alligators and iguanas without number. On the 
boughs of the trees and on the banks of the river, 
I saw parrots, paroquets, and other birds of beau- 
tiful plumage. In the forest, on both sides of the 
river, monkeys were constantly chattering. 

AVliile shifting our baggage into a surf-boat, pre- 
paratory to going on board the steamship Falcon, a 
canoe arrived with the remains of Colonel Prig- 
more, of Saline County, Missouri, who died of 
cholera just before reaching Chagres. Colonel 
Prigmore was the gentleman, before alluded to, 
attacked with cholera at the ranch 8 miles from 
Cruces, on the night of the 8th. 

At half-past seven o'clock on the evening of Sep- 
tember 10th, I stepped into a surf-boat and was 
soon on board the steamer Falcon, commanded by 
Captain Hartstein, U. S. Navy, lying in Chagres 
Koads, distant from the town about a mile. There 
was a heavy swell setting into the mouth of the 
Chagres Kiver and dashing against the battlements 
of the old fort, but the surf-boat rode safely over the 
rollers. I went at once to the ollice of the clerk for 
the number of my state-room and berth, having 
purchased a through-ticket in San Francisco with 
the express understanding that I should have a 
saloon or first-cabin state-room on board the Falcon. 
I was informed by the clerk that all the first-class 
state-rooms had been taken ; and, moreover, that 
the asrent in San Francisco was not authorized to 



DEATHS BY CHOLERA. o75 

sell through-tickets. After considerable parleying, 
a berth was assigned me in the " house on deck," 
where I found some half a dozen others of the 
through- ticket victims, similarly situated. Homo 
consoled themselves with the idea that they would 
obtain satisfaction from the agent on their return to 
California; others, that they would probably never 
travel the route again, and, like true philosophers, 
they made the best of a bad bargain. 

On the night of the 11th, Daniel Norcross, 
Special Mail Agent, arrived with the mail, and at 
half-past one o'clock on the following morning, the 
Falcon weighed anchor and started for Havana, 
where she arrived at eight o'clock, A. M., on the 
17th. During the 23assage between Chagres and 
Havana, the following i)crsons died of cholera : 



Captain Barnabas Kirby, Mass., died Sept. lltli, 

Robt. T. Lawrence, Brooklyn, N. Y., " " 12th, 

Elias Orton, Iowa, . . . " " 12th, 

AVilliam Beal, Michigan, . . " " V2i\\, 

Ismael Worthington, Ohio, . . " " loth, 

McGowau, N. Y., . . " " 13th, 

James H. Frye, Missouri, . . " " loth, 

Captain Elisha Clark, Maine, . " " 13th, 

Captain Augustus Norton, " . " *■ 14th, 

Sol. Joseph, Western Islands, . " " 14th, 

John Pinchatich, Trieste, Austria, " " 15th, 

Captain Richard Macy, Maiue, . " " 16th, 

J. Spaulpaugh, N. Y., . . . " " 16th, 

William Maynard, Conn., . . " " 16th, 

Crawford Riddel, Philadelphia, Pa., " " 16th, 

James Campbell, Ireland, . . " " 16th, 

Downing, Missouri, . . " " 16th, 

Gates, Indiana, . . . " " 17th. 



O/b A BURIAL AT SEA. 

Captain Kirby died while tlie Falcon was lying 
off Cliagres, and liis body was sent ashore and 
bnried at that place. The others, who died during 
the passage, were buried at sea. 

A burial at sea is a solemn scene. "All hands to 
bury the dead !" is piped by the boatswain, amid 
the tolling of the shi^^'s bell, and with the flag at 
half-mast, the corpse, wrapped in a sheet or blanket 
and incased in a canvas sack with a heavy weight 
at its foot, is placed on a plank in the gangway. 
The Episcopal burial service is read by the 
Chaplain or Captain, and at its conclusion, a tilt of 
the plank, a thud, a splash in the water and all that 
is mortal of the deceased is ingulfed beneath the 
waves of the ocean, there to remain until the last 
great day, when tliis globe shall dissolve, and the 
grave and the sea shall give up their dead. 

Out of the twenty cases of cholera on board the 
Falcon only three were saved ; and two of these 
were treated by Dr. J. Hobart Birge, of Sacra- 
mento City, a passenger on the Falcon, to whom 
many thanks are due for his kindness and attention 
to his sick and dying fellow-passengers on the 
Isthmus as well as on board the Falcon and the 
Ohio. The surgeon of the Falcon treated eighteen 
cases of cholera, and saved only one f 

The acconuuodatious for the sick on board the 
Falcon wore most miserable, and the treatment of 
the passengers, in cabin and steerage, did not meet 
their expectations. They expected to fare as well 
on the Atlantic as on the Pacific, but they were 
disappointed so far as the Falcon was concerned. 



A RIDE THROUGH HAVANA. 377 

During tliose five memorable clays passed on 
board the Falcon, my friend Tittle became sadly 
demoralized. Whenever a corpse was consigned to 
the deep, he imagined that his turn would come 
next, and it was with great difficulty that I could 
divert his mind from the gloomy surroundings. 
The pall of death seemed to enshroud all on board. 
He gave me the address of his wife, and requested 
me to take charge of his gold-dust aud other effects 
in case of his death. By way of consolation I re- 
minded him of the old adage about those born to be 
hanged, etc., and he finally came to the conclusion 
that he was not a subject for the cholera. 

On our arrival in the harbor of Havana, we ivere 
informed that we would be quarantined and not 
permitted to visit the city. "VVe had anticipated 
this. Imagine our surprise then, on being informed, 
a few hours later, that the taboo had been removed, 
and we could go ashore at twelve o'clock, M. This 
news was hailed with joy by all on board, and at 
one o'clock, P. M., nearly every passenger was on 
shore enjoying himself to his heart's content. Dan 
Norcross and myself chartered a volante for two 
hours, and, seating ourselves in the vehicle, ordered 
the postillion to trot us through the principal 
thoroughfares of the city. Jehu, an African as 
black as the ace of spades, who, by-the-by, was 
incased to his hips in boots as black and shiny as 
his countenance, mounted the horse attached to the 
volante, and cracking his whip, we started off at a 
brisk pace, up one street and down another ; now 
threading a narrow lane, and now rattling over the 



378 GO ON BOAED THE OHIO. 

pavement of a wide and beautiful street, lined on 
either side by shade and fruit trees, that j^erfumed 
the air with their fragrance. 

We hurried through the city at John Gilpin 
speed, and from the expression of the countenances 
of the little urchins, who threw up their tiny hands 
and cheered us as we passed, I believe they wished 
us much joy, and also that they might be present 
when we rode again. Boots performed his duty 
faithfully ; and at the expiration of two hours, set 
us down in Palace Square, the place from whence 
we had started, and received his fee — $1 — the 
cheapest ride between New York and California, 
at least I thought so at the time. 

Havana is a beautiful city, and its harbor and 
surrounding scenery, with the exce23tion of E,io de 
Janeiro and Naples, the most romantic in the world. 
In the evening I sauntered about Palace Square, 
which was crowded with the beauty and fashion of 
the gay metropolis, listening to the sweet and soul- 
inspiring music of the military band. The Havana 
senoi'itas are perfect liouris, and, had I been a 
bachelor, the steamship Ohio would j^i'obably have 
had one passenger less to New York. I remained 
on shore during the night, and at six o'clock next 
mornimr went on board the Falcon and transferred 
my baggage to the Ohio, Captain J. Finley Schenck, 
U. S. Navy. The Ohio left Havana at half-past 
nine o'clock on the morning of the 18th of Sep- 
tember, and arrived in New York at eleven o'clock, 
P. M., on the 22d, performing the passage in four 
days and fourteen hours. 



A MOST AGREEABLE CHANGE. 379 

On the (lay we left Havana, the following pas- 
sengers died of cholera and were buried at sea : 

Captain Ira Gould, Huntington, L. I. 
George Howell, Sag Harbor, " 

William Fields, Providence, R. I. 
A. Spencer, East Greenwich, " 

The passengers on board the Ohio had no cause 
of complaint. Captain Schenck and his officers did 
every tiling in their power to render all on board as 
comfortable as possible. The table was bountifully 
suj^plied, and the servants were attentive and 
obliging — a marked contrast to the treatment on 
board the Falcon. The following resolutions were 
adopted, and a copy presented to Captain Schenck : 

On board Steamship Ohio, 

At Sea, Sept. 2lHt, 1850. 

At a meeting of the passengers held on board this ship, to 
express their feelings of regard for Captain Schenck and the 
officers under his command. Judge WoodroofF, of New Orleans, 
was called to the chair, and \l. P. Gillingham, of Philadelphia, 
appointed Secretaiy. The Ibllowing gentlemen were appointed 
a committee to draft suitable resolutions : Samuel C. Uphani, 
Philadelphia ; James II. Brown, Baltimore ; W. II. Bowditch, 
Boston ; Captain Thomas F. Knowles, Baltimore, and D. S. 
Hunt, of New York, who presented the following resolutions, 
which were unanimously adopted : 

liciioU'ed, That we tender to Captain J. Finley Schenck our 
sincere and heartfelt thaidcs for the courteous manner in which 
he has borne himself toward all on board, and more especially 
for his kindly treatment of our sick and dying fellow-passengers 
since our departure from Havana. His skill as a commander, 
and other commendable qualities, will ever entitle him to our 
warmest regards ; and we trust that through the voyage of life 



380 HOME AGAIN 1 

he may ever bo flavored ■with lair winds, and at last let go his 
anchor in the haven of eternal rest. 

Besoli'cd, That, through Captain Schenck, \\q extend our 
warmest thanks to the other ofHoers of the OJiio, for their 
gentlemanly and officer-like deportment during the present 
passage between Havana and New York. 

Mesolvcd, That the proceedings of this meeting be publbhed 
in the New York Herald, riiiladelphia Ledger, Baltimore Sun, 
and Boston Pod, and that a manuscript copy of the same be 
presented to Captain Schenck by the Secretarv. 

C. AYOODROOFF, President 

R. r. GiLLiNGHAM, Seci'etarij. 

I arrived in New York tliirtj-eiglit days after 
my departure from San Francisco, including stop- 
pages. Six days' detention oi route deducted, leave 
tliirty-two days traveling time between the two 
places. On the afternoon o( the 23d, I left for 
Philadelphia to join my better-half and little ones, 
and the re-union, after a separation of nearly two 
years, can be better imagined than described. 

When I left California, it was my intention 
to return the following year with my family, 
but "man proixises and God disposes.'' Life's 
current has drifted me into other channels; the 
heyday of life has passed, and now, at the age of 
threescore I despair of again visiting the land 
where 

" The vine and the fig-tree are laden with fruit, 
And the breezes blow soft as the tones of the lute, 
The orange-tree blossoms and fruits in the vale, 
The date and pomegi-anate, 'mid sand and the shale, 
The filbert and almond, and manna of yore, 
All abouud in the land that I love and adore." 



VALEDICTION. 08 1 

The kaleidoscope of life is constantly changing. 
The life of man is but a span — here to-day and 
gone to-morrow. The Argonauts of 'Forty-nine 
are fast falling by the roadside and being gathered 
to their fathers. Keader, as you pass down the 
pathway of life, culling flowers by the wayside, 
should you chance to meet one of those wayworn 
Argonauts, one of those old grizzlies of the Sierras, 
who has never " buildcd a city nor founded an 
empire," but who did assist in adding to the con- 
stellation of States of our glorious Union one of its 
brightest and sunniest stars, the Eureka State, 
Queen of the Pacific, treat him kindly, and when 
he shall have passed from earth, place uj)on his 
grave a wreath of immortelles, and God will bless 
you. 



APPENDIX. 



PIONEER JOURNALISM IN CALIFORNIA. 



The Pacific Neivs — Its editors and proprietors — "Boston," ah'as " Big 
Ames " — First newspaper published in California — The AUa Cali- 
fornia — Sacramento Transcript and Placer Times — The Golden 
Era — Bret Harte, Mark Twain and Prentice Mulford — San Fran- 
cisco Picayune, Courier and Herald — Marysville Herald — Stock- 
ton Times — Sonora Herald. 

The following sketch, published originally in Rowell's 
Newspaper Reporter and subsequently elaborated and pub- 
lished in N. W. Ayer & Son's Advertiser's Guide, has 
been corrected and still further elaborated, and, in its 
present form, is believed to be a correct and impartial 
history of Pioneer Journalism in California: 

On my return to San Francisco from the Calaveras 
mines, in the month of October, 1849, I applied to the 
proprietors of the Pacifio News for permission to canvass 
for a carrier's route on their journal. After a long inter- 
view, during which the project was thoroughly discussed, 
pro and con, I obtained the sole and exclusive right to 
canvass for subscribers and serve the Pacifio News in the 
city of San Francisco and suburbs, w^iich latter included 
Happy Valley and the adjacent sand-hills. 

Mr. Falkner, the senior proprietor of the News, prior to 
emigrating to California, published a paper in Norwich, 
Connecticut. When the gold fever broke out in the New 
England States Mr. F. was one of its first victims. He 
packed up his printing-office, and engaging passage for 
himself and two sons on board a vessel, sailed for the 
22 (385) 



386 THE PACIFIC NEWS ITS STAFF. " 

modern EJ I^ovndo, via Cape ITorn. At Valparaiso, he 
made the acquaintance of Warren Leland, one of the pro- 
prietors of the Clinton Hotel, New York, en route to the 
gold-digglnfjs of California. Leland having an eye to 
business, proposed to enter into copartnership with 
Falkner upon their arrival at San Francisco. His 
proposition was accepted; and immediately upon reaching 
San Francisco, a frame building was hastily constructed on 
Kearney Street, and on the 25th of August, the first 
number of the Pacific News Avas published, with Falkner 
as editor, and Leland as business manager. A few 
weeks subsequently, Charles Fames, of Washington, 
D. C, appointed by President Polk consul to the 
Hawaiian Islands, arrived in San Francisco en route, but 
was prevailed upon by Falkner and Leland to forego his 
mission, locate in San Francisco, and assume editorial 
charge of the News, at a salary of $500 per month. As 
the election and inaugm-ation of Zacliary Taylor, as Pres- 
ident of the United States, had rendered the recall of Mr. 
Fames a foregone conclusion, that gentleman considered 
discretion the better jxirt of valor, and accepted the editor- 
ship of the News. 

Simultaneously with the engagement of ^Ir. Fames as 
editor-in-chief, a tall, lank, hirsute Yankee of the name of 
Ames alias " Boston," was engaged as a local reporter of 
the Ncirs. Ames subsequently published in San Diego, 
California, a zcealdi/ paper, called the Herald, which for a 
single week was edited by " John Phoenix," the Califor- 
nia humorist. During the temporary absence of Ames, 
Pha^nix changed the politics of the Herald from red-hot 
Democratic to Whig, M-hich so exasperated Ames that a 
free fight occurred in the composing-room. During the 
melee, the forms were knocked into pi, and the com- 
batants became so thoroughly mixcil, that t'other couldn t 
be distinguished from which. Phivnix, in his published 
account of the fight, claimed he mou the victory by insert- 



i 



THE FIRST AND SECOND PAPERS. 387 

ing Ids nose between the teeth of Ames, and holding him 
down nntil he cried peccavl ! 

The Pacifie Neivs was the first tri-weekly, and at tliat 
time the third paper i)ul)lishcd in California, the other two 
being the Alta California, published in San Francisco by 
Gilbert & Kemble, and the Placer Times, published at 
Sacramento City by E. Gilbert & Co., and edited by 
Jesse Giles, both weekly sheets, and small patterns at that, 
the latter being foolscap size. 

The Monterey Californian was the first newspaper 
issued in California. It was published and edited by Rev. 
Walter Colton, a Chaplain of the United States Navy, 
and Dr. Robert Semple. The type was principally Long 
Primer, an old Spanish fount, badly worn and battered. 
There being no "AY" in the Spanish alphabet, two " Vs" 
were substituted for that letter. The press was an old 
" Ramage," which had been used by the Mexican function- 
aries for printing their edicts and other public papers. 
The first number of the Californian was issued in the 
summer of 1846, and M'as printed on an inferior quality of 
paper, used for tobacco wrappers. Mr. John R. Gould, 
at present a resident of Baltimore, Maryland, and Secretary 
of the " Maryland Association of Veterans of the Mexican 
War," Avith the assistance of a boy, set the type, worked 
off the paper and kept the books of the office. Mr. B. P. 
Kooser, a corporal in the United States Army, was com- 
positor and pressman on the Californian in 1847. Mr. 
Kooser subsequently for several years published and edited 
the Sentinel at Santa Cruz, California, and was a commis- 
sioner from that State at the Centennial Exhibition. 

The second paper published in California was the Cal- 
ifornia Star, the first number of which was issued at San 
Francisco, on the 9th day of January, 1847. It was a 
weekly sheet, a trifle larger than the Californian, and was 
published by Sam Brannan, and edited by E. P. Jones. 
The press on which the Star was printed was a tolerably 



388 STAR AND CALIFORNIAN MERGED. 

good one, and was afterward used by the Sonera Herald. 
On the 17th of the foHowing April, Mr. Jones retired 
from the Stm-, and Mr. E. C. Kemble assumed editorial 
charge. The Star Avas published regularly during the 
year 1847, the last number of the first volume being issued 
on the 1st day of January, 1848. 

In the month of INIay, 1847, the Calif ornian was re- 
moved from Monterey to San Francisco, and on the 1st of 
June of that year, the first number of its second volume 
appeared. The second volume continued on from that 
time until April, 1848, during wliich time the paper 
changed publishers and editors several times. The first 
number of the second volume of the California Star ap- 
peared on the 8th of January, 1848, in an enlarged form, 
and its publication was continued regularly until the 26th 
of the following May, when the printers vamosed to the 
mines, and its publication Avas discontinued. In the month 
of April, the Calif ornian was discontinued for the same 
reason. From the last of May until the latter part of 
June, 1848, California was without a newspaper. 

About the 1st of July, a few printers, w4io had returned 
disgusted with the mines, commenced the publication of 
the third volume of the Californian. It was issued every 
now and then, without any regard to regularity, until 
August, 1848, when it recommenced its regular weekly 
issues, under the editorial management of H. I. Sheldon. 
In September of the same year, Mr. Kemble returned from 
the mines, purchased the Californian, also the interests of 
his partners in the Star, and united the two papers imder 
the name of the Star and Californian, and recommenced 
its publication where the Star had stopped. Vol. Ill, 
No. 24. The Star and Califoimian was the only paper 
then published in California, and was issued weekly until 
the last of December, 1848, when it was discontinued, and 
on the 1st of January, 1849, Mr. Kemble united with 
himself Messrs. Gilbert and Hubbard, and commenced 



ALTA CALIFORNIA AND PLACER TIMES. "389 

the publication of tlie Alfa California. The Alia California 
was published weekly, until the 10th of December, 1849, 
when it was issued tri-weekly, and after the 23d of 
January, 1850, came out daily, simultaneously with the 
Journal of Commerce, published by W. Bartlett. On the 
4th of the ensuing IMarch, the PacifiG News also appeared 
daily. 

The next paper, the fourth started, and the second then 
published in California was the Placer Times at New 
Helvetia, Sutter's Fort, afterward Sacramento City. The 
first number of the Placer Times appeared on the 28t}i 
day of April, 1849, and was printed Aveekly, on a cap 
sheet, as paper of a larger size could not be obtained. 
The publishers were E. C. Kemble & Co., the editor being 
Mr. Kemble. On the 19th of the following June, on ac- 
count of ill health, Mr. Kemble vacated the editorial chair, 
and T. R. Per Lee* assumed charge. On the 25th of 
August, 1849, Mr. Per Lee resigned, and Jesse Giles 
continued the publication of the paper for E. Gilbert 
&Co. 

In 1849, very little jirinting-paper was to be had in 
California ; but the market was overstocked with unruled 
foolscap pa})er, which was substituted for the former. The 
size of the Pacific Neivs was a foolscap sheet ; and as en- 
largement was a matter of imjiossibility, supplementary 
sheets were added to accommodate advertisers. The price 
of the News Avas 12|- cents a copy, or 75 cents a week, 
payable to the carrier. Steamer editions, published on the 
first of each month, and printed on wrapping-paper of 
various colors and qualities, sold at 50 cents a copy. Ad- 
vertisemeuts were $5 a square, each insertion. 

I experienced little difficulty in getting up a payii^g list 
of customers for the New^s. Nearly every one on whom I 
called gladly subscribed for the paper, and at the end of 

* At this time (September, 1878,) a resident of Baltimore, Maryland. 



390 A NEW FIRM, PUBLISHERS OF 

cacli "week puiJ mo promptly. I had scarcely become 
accustomed to my new vocation, when the situation of 
book-keeper Avas tendered to me by the proprietor of tlie 
News, Avith a salary of |100 a week. I sold my carrier's 
route for v^-^*^^, J^'id accepted the situation, which I held 
until the following spring. 

In the month of INTarch, 1850, there arrived in the har- 
bor of ISan Francisco a ship from New Orleans, with an 
assorted cargo, among which was a second-hand jn-inting 
office, with some thirty reams of printing-pa})er. The 
type, presses (a card and hand press), paper, ink, etc., were 
invoiced in New Orleans at §950, but were valued in San 
Francisco at $15,000, and could have been sold for that 
amount in coin, as printing material was very scarce, and 
'* sorts" were worth their weight in gold. Mr. G. K. Fitch, 
the owner oi' the printing material, proposed to five of the 
attaches of the Paclfe Xcws — F. C. Ewer, II. S. AVarrcn, 
tl. ]\l. Julian, T. Ivusscll and S. C. Upham — the formation 
of a copartncrshi(>, with a view to the publication of a 
paper in Sacramento City. The proposition Avas accepted, 
articles of agrcoment executed, and on the 1st day of April, 
1850, the initial number of the Sacramento Transcript was 
issued by Fitch, Upham c*c Co. The Transcript was jnih- 
lished tri-weekly during the months of April and ]May, 
ami on the 1st of June it became a daily. It was printed 
on a folio sheet, in Brevier and Nonpareil type. A steamer 
edition, for circulation in the Atlantic States, was printed 
on the first of each month. The daily sold at 1'2a cents a 
copy, and iUc steamer edition at 50 cents a copy. Adver- 
tisements were inserted at $4 per square, each insertion. 
The six copartners occu])ied the following positions on the 
paper: O. K. Fitch, lu\ivy and lighting editor; F. C 
Fwcr, literary editor; II. S. AVarren, foreman; J. ^I. Ju- 
lian, compositor; T. Russell, pressman, and S. C. Upham, 
local reporter, printer's devil, business manager, "dead- 
head," etc. 



THE SACRAMENTO TRANSCEIPT. 391 

Tho Sacramento Transcrij)t was tlic fiflli newspaper piib- 
lislied on tlie Pacific const, and tlic first daily out of San 
Francisco ])nblishcd in California. Ten days later, the 
lOtli of June, the Placer Times came out daily. The 
Transcript was a financial success from the start, but as 
the gold rolled in, its proprietors rolled out. Mr. Julian 
retired before the expiration of the second month, and the 
business nianager a month later, having sold his interest 
in the Transcript for ,1?10,000 =•= to Mr. G. C.Weld, California 
correspondent of the New York Journal of Commerce. 
Mr. Weld was a model business man as well as a versatile 
and graceful writer. ITad he lived, he would liave made 
a shining mark in California journalism. IJeing of a deli- 
cate and fragile organization, his system was j)rostrated by 
the vicissitudes of pioneer life, and within six weeks from 
the time he became one of the proprietors of the Transci'ipt 
he passed from earth to that bourn whence no traveler 
returns. The Transci'ipt, after the death of Mr. Weld, 
being without a competent business manager, began to 
wane. It was afterward merged into the Placer Times, 
another sickly daily at that time ; but after the consolida- 
tion, the new enterprise was a success. A year later the 
Times and Transcript was removed to San Francisco, and 
took a leading position as a Democratic organ. In June, 
1853, Pickering & Fitch sold the ])aper for $30,000 to 
Gciger, Washington & Kerr. It died in 185G of a Demo- 
cratic controversy. Too much Tannnany killed it! 

On the 13tli of April, two weeks after the advent of the 
Transcript in Sacramento City, the Placer Times, then 
under the editorial management of Colonel J. E. Lawrence, 
came out tri-weekly. Early in the following October, E. 
Gilbert &. Co. disposed of the Times to Messrs. I*ickering, 
Lawrence <& Co., the former gentleman assuming the chair 
of senior editor. Colonel J. E. Lawrence, the junior 

* Three thousand dollars cash, and the notes of the purchaser for the 
balance. The notes were not paid. Mr. Weld's death cancelled them. 



392 DEBUT OF SOME CELEBRITIES. 

editor and one of tlie most genial and companionable 
gentlemen it has ever been my good fortune to meet, 
arrived in California early in '49, overland, via Mexico 
and Lower California, by mule express. Soon after the 
collapse of the Times and Transcript, Colonel I^iawrcnce 
cither started or purchased an interest in the San Francisco 
Golden Era, the leading literary journal of the Pacific 
coast, and assumed its editorial management. 

The Golden Era was the alma mcder, and Colonel Joe 
Lawrence the godfather of Bret Harte, Prentice Miilford, 
Charles Warren Stoddart, Dinsmore, the dramatizer of 
Mark Twain's "Gilded Age/' Minnie Myrtle, and a host 
of lesser lights, whose early lucubrations first appeared in 
that journal. Bret Harte was for a short time compositor 
in the office of the Golden Era, the situation having been 
obtained through the intercession of his sister, an occasional 
contributor, and his first two productions were published 
anonymously in that journal, while he was working at 
case. When the authorship of the sketches became known, 
the Golden Era lost an indifferent compositor, but added 
to its staff of litterateurs a rough diamond, which, with 
careful polishing, ere long became a gem of the first water. 

Steve Massett, " Jeems Pipes of Pipesville," was one of 
the early birds, having arrived in Sau Francisco early in 
'49. Mark Twain, Bret Harte, Prentice Mulford and 
Dinsmore arrived later, although it is generally believed 
by archaeologists that Mark Twain started for California 
immediately after the deluge, but owing to snags in the 
Mississippi Piver and scientific researches en route, did not 
actually arrive in California until A. D. 1852. The first 
opening that occurred after his arrival in San Francisco was 
caused by an earthquake. This event so exasperated INIark, 
that he immediately laid in a box of l>ipes, a barrel of 
smoking tobacco and a few kegs of lager as small stores, 
and sailed direct for the Sandwich Islands, where for 
several years he hobnobbed with King Kamchameha, and 



SEVERAL FIEST NUMBERS. 6\)6 

played "Jumping Frog of the Calaveras/' for the amuse- 
ment of Prince Kalakaua and other sprigs of Kanaka 
royalty. 

Prentice Mulford, after Avasting his sweetness fourteen 
years in California, during which time he was by turns pro- 
spector, miner, politician, pedagogue and litterateur, quietly 
folded his tent, and hied himself to " merrie England," 
where, like a sensible man, he took unto himself a better- 
half, and is now striving to fulfill the scriptural injunction, 
" Increase and multiply." Mr. Mulford's letters to the 
San Francisco Evening Bulletin, during his sojourn in 
England, France and Austria, gained for him an enviable 
reputation, and his '^Centennial Notes'' from Philadelphia, 
contributed to the same journal during the year 1876, 
place him in the front rank of his profession. Mr. Mulford 
is also a pleasing lecturer, and if he were to devote his 
attention to the rostrum, would excel either Bret Harte or 
Mark Twain. 

On the 16th of March, 1850, Mr. J. White published 
the first number of the Stockton TimeSf in the city of 
Stockton, on the San Joaquin River. The Times was a 
weekly paper printed on a cap sheet, in Long Primer type. 
H. H. Radcliif soon afterward purchased an interest in 
the paper, enlarged it and changed its name to the Stockton 
Times and Tuolumne City Intelligencer, 

On June 1 9th, INIr. J. S. Robb, a native of Philadelphia, 
and at one time connected with the St. Louis Reveille, 
issued in Stockton the first number of the semi- weekly 
Stockton Journal. 

On June 1st, Foy, Nugent & Co. issued the first number 
of the San Francisco Daily Herald. The Hercdd was 
edited by John Nugent, formerly connected Avith the Neio 
York Herald. 

On the 1st of July, the first number of the San Fran- 
cisco Courier (daily) appeared. It was published and 
edited by 3lessrs. Crane & Rice, and was Whig in poll- 



394 FIEST STEAM PEINTING-PRESS. 

tics, being the seooiul political jiapor iu California, the 
PaoijiG News, then cilited bv ^Ir. F. C. Ewer, liaving, in 
the preccclinc; Jannaiy, espoused the Democratic cause. 
On August od, John II. CJihon & Co. eomuienced the 
publication of the San Francisco J^irning Picayune, edited 
by P. A. Brinsinade. The Picdi/uue Avas the first evening 
paper published in California; and its senior proprietor 
was a native of Philadelphia. 

The first number of the So)iora Herald (weekly) Avas 
published on July 4th, by J. White & J. G. Marvin. 
It "was printed on a cap sheet, and iu liong Primer type. 
The semi-weekly Jllari/srille Herald made its first appear- 
ance on the Gth of August. It was published and edited 
by R. II. Taylor. The size of the paper was a cross be- 
tween cap and folio post. 

I will here state that to INIr. Edward Connor, formerly 
of the Kcir York Jlerald, is due the credit of having 
brought the first steain-j)ower printing-press to California. 
It was a Napier press, made by R. lloe ct Co., and arrived 
in May, 1850. The first j)aper printed by steam-power in 
California- was the Alta California. "When the writer left 
California, in the mouth of August, 1850, the Alia Cali- 
fornia, Pacific Keirs, Journal of Commerce, Californict 
Courier, Herald and l^roiing Picat/une, of San Francisco, 
the Transcript and Placer Times, of Sacramento City, the 
Times and Jourjtal, of Stockton, and the So)iora. Herald 
and Mart/svillc Herald wvvc the only newsjiapers published 
in that State, ami with a single exception — the Oregonian, 
at Portland, Oregon — the only journals jniblished on the 
Pacilie coast north of Mazatlan. 

The Pacific News had changed proprietors, and in Au- 
gust, 1850, was edited by General Jonas Winchester, a 
former associate of Horace Greeley in the New-Yorker. 
The Evening Picayune w:is at that time edited by Dr. John 
H. Gihon, private secretary to Colonel John W. Geary, 
then Mavor of San Francisco. The late General John W. 



THE CHANGES OF TIME. 395 

Geary was tlio last AJcnJdc and the first Mayor of San 
Francisco, and 1 am quite certain that city lias never since 
been governed more ably or satisfactorily. 'As a brother- 
pioneer and 'Forty-niner, I feel an honest ])ridc in the 
brilliant record achieved during the war of the rebellion 
by the first Mayor of San Francisco. May his laurels 
ever remain green in the hearts of his countrymen. 

Twenty-six years have wrought wonderful changes in 
California, as well as along the entire northern Pacific 
coast. Old landmarks have become almost entirely oblite- 
rated. San Francisco, with her few dozens of adobe and 
frame structures in 1849, and a population of less than 
1,500 souls, at the ])resent time contains a population of 
300,000, and is the second commercial city on the Avestern 
continent. When the agricultural resources of the Pacific 
slope shall have become as fully and thoroughly developed 
as its mineral. New York must look to her laurels. The 
press has fully kept ])ace with other improvements. I 
have before me a list of 2(S3 newspapers and ])eriodicals 
published at this time in the States of California and Ore- 
gon. At present there are published in San Francisco 16 
dailies, 43 weeklies, 1 semi-weekly, 15 monthlies and semi- 
monthlies. In the State there are published 239 journals 
and periodicals, of which 47 are daily papers. The ave- 
rage circulation is 2,035. Taking the last census as a 
basis, the ratio of newspapers and periodicals published in 
California is larger, according to population, than any 
other State of the Union, being 90 copies yearly to each 
inhabitant. The State of New York is second on the list, 
with 89 yearly copies to each inhabitant. 

The San Francisco Evening Bullei'm and the Morning 
0(/l, j)artly owned and controlled by Mr. G. K. Fitch, my 
former associate in the Sacramento Tramjcript, are ably-con- 
ducted journals and are said to be the best paying news- 
paper properties in California. Mr. Fitch's associates in the 
Bulletin and Call arc JSIr. L. I'ickering, formerly one of 



396 THE OLD JOURNALISTS OF •49-50, 

the editors ami proprietors of the Placer Times, and !Mr. 
J. "W. Sinionton, agent of the New York " Associated 
Press," both experienced and able journalists. The Bul- 
Iciin has always been a terror to evil-doers, ami ISlv. Fitch, 
the liead and front of that journal, has, by his honest, able 
and judicious management, earned the deserved title of the 
Horace Greeley of the Pacific Coast — but will never run 
for President. Few of the journalists connected Mith the 
California press in 1849-'50 now reside in the State of 
their early labors ; Fitch and Pickering being the only 
ones now in working harness. B. P. Kooser,* veteran 
pioneer printer, has recently vacated the sanctum of the 
Santa Cruz Sentinel, and now sits under his own vine and 
fig-tree in that beautiful semi-tropical city by the sea, sur- 
rounded by the idols of his heart — wife and chiklren. 
Mr. F. C. Ewer has given the flesh and the devil the cold 
shoulder, donned sacerdotal robes, and is at present rector 
of St. Ignatius Church, New York City. Messrs. Kemble 
and Russell arc also residents of the latter city. Some 
twenty years since, ^Ir. Gilbert was killed by General 
Denver, in a duel at Oak Grove, near Sacramento City. 

Colonel Joe Lawrence has retired to the classic shades of 
Bay City, Long Lsland, where he presides with dignitv over 
the Society for the ''Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,'" nurses 
that same old meerschaum and luxuriates on cold tea with a 
stick in it.f Charles Eanies returned to AVashington, D. C, 

* Deceased since the above was written. 

t Death of Colonh. Joskimi E. Lawrence — The telograpli an- 
nounces tlie deatli at Tom's Kiver, N. J., of Colonel Joseph E. Law- 
rence, of Flushing;, Long Island, one of the old newspaper men of this 
coast. Colonel Lawrence came to this .State in 1849. In the following 
year he was employed by E. Gilbert & Co. to edit the Placer I'ivies, at 
Sacramento. Subsequently he became a partner of Loring Pickering 
in the publication of the same journal. In ISoI the Times and the 
Transcript, another Sacramento paper, were merged into one, and during 
the following year the paper was moved to this city. Colonel Lawrence 
continued his connection with the Times and 'Transcript till lSo4. After 
that he was one of the proprietors of the Golden Era for a long time. 
He tilled a position in the Custom-house during the administration of 
B. F. Washington. His latter ye;irs were spent between this city and 



WARREN LELAND AND GEN. WINCHESTER. 397 

practiced law there, was subsequently appointed minister 
to Ecuador, and died seven or eiglit years ago. Dr. John 
H. Gihon is also dead. Warren Lcland returned to Cali- 
fornia a few years since and managed the "Grand Palace 
Hotel," in San Francisco, until quite recently, when lie 
returned to New York city, where he now resides. General 
Jonas Winchester, the veteran journalist, is at this time a 
resident of Grass Valley, California. 

New York, where he was higlily connected. For a considerable period 
he also had a lucrative place in the Custom-house of the latter city. 
Colonel Lawrence was one of those genial men who never make an 
enemy. In his more youthful days he was remarkable for the neatness 
of his dress and his personal beauty. As a newspaper man he took fair 
rank, though his writings as a general thing were more suited for the 
literary weekly than tlie daily newspaper. They were, for the most 
part, of the easy-chair, sunshiny sort, which one wishes to read in 
dressing-gown and slippers. For the last three or four years of his life 
Colonel Lawrence had undergone a great change, supposed to have been 
the result of sunstroke in New York. He had become careless in his 
dress and inert, but he never lost his good nature and pleasant manners. 
He will long hold a place in the memory of the old members of the pro- 
fession. One of his most remarkable traits was his open-handedness. 
He was willing to share almost all he had with his friends. If he had 
not been so generous he might liave been a rith man. As it was, tiie 
residue of a reasonable fortune — some $12,000 or i?1.3,000^ie took Fast 
for the purchase of an old homestead, for which he always manifested 
the greatest attachment. — San Francisco Bulletin, July 15th, 1878. 



"CALIFORNIA DAY" AT THE CENTENNIAL 
EXHIBITION. 



Preliminary meeting in New York — Committee appointed — Rev. 
Albert Williams addresses the meeting — Programme of exercises — 
'Forty-niners and other Californians present — Distinguished guests 
— Addresses by Hon. Rodman M. Price, Generals II. G. Gibson 
and Joe Hooker, Governor Curtin, General Sutter, Governor 
Hartranft and Colin M. Boyd — "Song of the Argonauts" — The 
banquet — Fire ! fire ! — Telegrams sent to San Francisco. 

At a special meeting of " The Associated Pioneers 
OF the Territorial Days of California/' held at 
the Sturtevant House, New York, on the evening of May 
15th, 1876, General H. Gates Gibson, U. S. A., President, 
in the chair, the following resolutions were unanimously 
adopted : 

Resolved, That the members of this Society assemble at the 
Pacific Coast Centennial Hall, Centennial Grounds, 
Philadelphia, on the 9th day of September next, the twenty- 
sixth anniversary of the admission of California into the Union, 
and that all Californians throughout the country be requested, 
without further notice, to join with us ujDon that occasion, m 
one grand re-union of Culiforniau?. 

Resolved, That the Secretary be instructed to furnish copies 
of the minutes of this meeting to the press of this and other 
cities, and also to all Californians whose names are registered 
in the book kept for that purpose by the Society, requesting 
their co-operation in the movement fur a rc-union of Califor- 
nians at Philadelphia, on the 9th day of September next. 

(398) 



AEEANGEMENTS FOE " CALIFOENIA DAY." 399 

In compliance with a resolution, the President appointed 
the following committee to make the necessary arrange- 
ments in Philadelphia, for the visit of the Society in Sep- 
tember : ISIessrs. E. F. Burton, Thomas D. Johns, S. L. 
Merchant, John Gault and W. M. Walton. 

The President ajjpointed the following committee to 
confer with non-member Californians, and ask their co- 
operation in the re-union at Philadelphia : Messrs. O. PI. 
Pierson, H. B. Hawkins and John A. Godfrey. 

Dnring the evening, the Rev. Albert Williams, of San 
Francisco, Secretary of the Pacific Coast Centennial Com- 
mittee, addressed the Society, on invitation of the Chair, 
and gave the details of the building in course of erection 
at Philadelphia, and stated that it would be ready for 
occupancy Juno 1st, and extended the use of the hall to 
the members of this Society, and all other Californians 
visiting the Exhibition. 

Upon the conclusion of the remarks of Mr. Williams, 
the President returned to that gentleman the thanks of the 
Society. 

At a subsequent meeting of the Society, the programme 
on the following page was adopted : 




400 PROGRAMME OF EXERCISES. 

RE-UNION OF CALIFORNIANS 

Under the auspices of 

Tie Associated Pioneers ol tlie Territorial Days of California, 

(HEAD-QUARTERS IX NEW YORK CITY,) 

AT THK 

PACIFIC COAST CENTENNIAL HALL, 

EXHIBITION GROUNDS, PHILADELPHIA, 

On Saturday, September^ c)Th, 1876, 
AT ONE O'CLOCK, P. M. 

{Twenty-Sixth Anniversary of the Admission of California into the Union.) 



PROGRAMME OF EXERCISES. 

1. INTRODUCTION OF Gen. JOHN A. SUTTER, by Prest Gibson. 

2. MUSIC— "Hail to the Chief." 

3. PRAYER, by Rev. Dr. Allen. 

4. ADDRESS OF WELCOME, by General H. G. Gibson. U. S. A., 

President of the Associated Pioneers. 

5. MUSIC— '-'Centennial Ode." Geibel. 

6. READING OF LETTERS, by the Secretary of the Society. 

7. MUSIC -" O California I" 

8. ADDRESS, by Hon. Rodman M Price, cx-Govemor of Ncic Jersey, 

And a participant with Commodore Ploat in the raising of the American 
Flag at Monterey. California, July 7th, 184G. 

9. MUSIC— " Star Spangled Banner." 

10. "SONG OF THE ARGONAUTS; OR DAYS OF MO." 

Composed expressly for this occasion by S. C. Upiiam, Esq.. of Philadelphia. 

yolo by Sir. tii:ou(;E A. Conly, Basso of the Kellogg Opera Troupe. 

Tlie audience will please join in the chorus. 

11. MUSIC— " Potpourri. Operatic Airs." 
BANQUET, at Globe Hotel. 



Music by McClurg's Comet Band. Selections of Music by the Band from 12 o'clock, 

noon, until the commencement of the e.xercises. Also, appropriate 

Music on the " Centennial Chimes," by Professor WiUDows. 

Saturday, September Otli, was a eharmino; antunui day, 
and at one o'clock, P. M., an audience of seven lumdred 
persons had assembled in the "Pacific Coast Centen- 
nial Hall." The assemblage Mas composed mainly of 



DISTINGUISHED PIONEERS. 403 

former residents of the Pacific slope ; many of the number 
being ladies, who heartily enjoyed the festive occasion. 
Two large and beautiful American flags of California silk, 
belonging to Mr. Neuman, of that State, arched the space 
behind the speakers' platform, and strips of bunting 
around the entire walls and pillars decorated the hall, while 
McClurg's Cornet Band enlivened the intervals between 
the speeches, with choice selections of music. Placards 
with appropriate mottoes also adorned the walls. A large 
and artistically-executed seal of the Eureka State, com- 
posed entirely of native woods, and loaned for the occasion 
by ]\Ir. J. R. Scupham, occupied a prominent j^osition on 
the speakers' stand. On the platform were seated some 
half-dozen gentlemen, whose personal history had been 
more or less identified with the exciting days of the early 
gold discoveries in the modern El Dorado. Prominent 
among these was tiie veteran pioneer. General John A. 
Sutter, in his seventy-fourth year. Among other repre- 
sentatives of the first settlers of the Golden State, who 
occupied seats either on the platform or in the audience, 
were the followinir : 

o 

Hon. Rodman M. Price, ex-Governor of New Jersey, 
who was a participant with Commodore Sloat in the raising 
of the American flag at Monterey, California, on July 7th, 
1846; Colin M. Boyd, President of the "Territorial 
Pioneers of California;" B. P. Kooser, of Santa Cruz, 
California, one of the Centennial Commissioners from that 
State, who, in 1 847, was engaged as pressman and printer 
on the Calif ornian, at Monterey, the first newspaper printed 
in California; Major-General Joseph Hooker, U. S. A., 
General H. Gates Gibson, U, S. A., John Sickels, Francis 
D. Clark and wife. General Thomas D. Johns, D. M. 
Chauncey, S. L. Merchant, William M.Walton, O. H. Pier- 
son, H. M. Newhall, E. F. Burton, John H. Gardiner and 
wife, Mrs. Dr. Chas. Blake, William J. Curtis, James E. 
Nuttmann, Gordon P. Cummings, John H. Trowbridge, 
23 



40-1 GEN. GIBSON" INTRODUCES GEN. SUTTER. 

J()]m A. Codfroy niul Mifo, Prentice MulforJ and ■wife, Joa- 
quin Millor, Samuel C Ui>liani, A. B. Duncan, T. ConUlin, 
<I. T. Fisher, James S. Wethercd, and A\', Lynch, of Los 
Angeles, California. There were also present, Governor 
John F. Ilartranft, cx-Govcrnor Andrew G. Curtin, ex- 
Governor William Bigler and General Jos. R. Hawley, 
President of the Centennial Commission. 

The exercises conmienced at one o'clock, P. M., with a 
fervent and apj^ropriate prayer, by the Rev. Dr. Allen, of 
the Old Pine Street Church, who had recently returned 
from a trip to California. General Sutter was then intro- 
duced to the audience by President Gibson, in the follow- 
ing appropriate speech : 

Feli.ow-Califorxians, Ladies axd Gextlemen: — In 
accordance Avitli the announcement just made by the Chairman 
of the Committee of Arrangements for this re-union, I have 
the pleasure and honor of introducing to you, as President of 
the day, General John A. Sutter, our grand old patriarch and 
noble chieftain, whoni Ave all delight to honor; whose noble 
deeds and golden virtues, amid the stirring incidents and en- 
chanting scenes of his pastoral life in the Golden Land, and in 
the exciting events of his discovery and development of her 
rich placers, have made his name as illustrious in history as it 
is grateful in our liearts. You will rejoice with me that God 
has given him length of days, and that he is enabled to join 
with us to-day, in the full communion of body and spirit, in the 
commemoration of his proud achievements, and the brilliant 
results — as Avonderful as those from the touch of the magical 
lamp of Alatldin — that sprang from his grand discovery. You 
will join with me in the fervent prayer, that God will give him 
still greater length of days, and that the sunset of his life may 
be as serene and beautiful, as its meridian was glorious with 
full-orbed splendor, whose 

" Light still lingers 'round us yet, 
Bright, radiant, blest." 

You will also unite Avith me to-day in the earnest hope that 



HIS ADDRESS OF WELCOME. 405 

the justly-merited and long-deferred reward for his inestimable 
services to the whole country, may soon cease to be a reproach 
upon the justice, gratitude and magnauiniity of the Republic; 
that it may yet be said, to the honor of our country, as of the 
warrior, renowned in Soanish history and song : 

" After high deeds not left untold 
In the stern warfare, which of old 

'Twas his to share, 
Such noble leagues he made, that more 
And fairer regions than before. 

His guerdon were." 

And now, General Sutter, veteran pioneer and noblest of 
men, 

" Let not thy noble spirit grieve. 
Its life of glorious fame to leave 
On earth below ;" 

for, though the official and substantial recognition of thy 
grand services and grander life may be withheld, through the 
proverbial ingratitude of republics, we, thy clansmen and thy 
children, will never withhold from thee the just meed and 
loyal tribute of our grateful affection and honor ; and, better 
still, 

" In Heaven thou shalt receive, at length. 

The guerdon of thine early strength 

And generous hand." 

On taking the chair, General Sutter made a few remarks, 
during which he said he felt proud of the honor conferred 
on him, and was glad his life had been spared him to meet 
his early California associates on the occasion of the twenty- 
sixth anniversary of the admission of California into the 
Union, and particularly at the Centennial Celebration of 
the Independence of the United States. 

General H. Gates Gibson, President of the " Associated 
Pioneers," then delivered the following eloquent address of 
welcome, which was rajjturously applauded : 

FELLOW-CALIFORNLiNS, LaDIES AND GeNTLEMEN : — Un- 



40G ADDRKSS OF WELCOME. 

dor tlic auspices of "The Associated Pioneers of tlie Territorial 
Days of California," this ro-uniou 1ms been initiated and in- 
augurated, and it now becomes my pUnxsing duty to extend to 
each and all of you, a cordial, lieiirty welcome. It was said of 
old, that " when Greek meets Greek, then comes the tug of 
war," but may it ever be said of us, the Argonauts of the 
nineteenth century, that when Californian meets Californian, 
then comes the warm clasp of the hand, the bright kindling of 
the eye, and the kindly, earnest greeting that springs from the 
heart. As with the pilgrims of the Holy Land, "palm to 
palm was holy palmer's kiss ;" so we, pilgrims of the Golden 
Land, bestow on each other to-day the " palmer's kiss " of 
golden peace, affection and welcome. 

On this natal day of California, we have come Avith proud 
and grateful hearts to exultiugly sing with you our pagans of 
praise and honor to the Golden State, and to join in the patri- 
otic rejoicings of our countrymen over this grand Centennial 
Jubilee of the Republic, on this historic spot whence the glad 
tidings went forth : " Proclaim liberty throughout the land to 
all the inhabitants thereof." 

The distinguished orator, who will address you to-day will, 
no doubt, do full justice to the mighty thoughts inspired by 
the occasion and your presence; and, though they may not 

" suggest 
Life's endless toil and endeavor," 

yet they teach an invaluable lesson to those who may come 
after us, demonstrating by example, as rich and beautiful as 
" apples of gold in pictures of silver," the truth of the grand 
apothegm, that 

" In the lexicon of youth, which Fate reserves 

For a bright manhood, there is no such word 

As— /ai7.'" 

But, enticing as may be the theme of California, and the 
story of her sterling Pioneers, I must not encroach upon the 
province of your orator, or trespass ui)on your indulgence be- 
yond the duty incumbent upon me as President of the Society ; 
and, if tempted beyond it, your own hearts will plead for me: 

" The love he bore to California was at fault ;" 



ADDEESS OF WELCOME. 407 

for our hearts go out to her to-day with an earnest longing, in 
some degree akin to that of the fond mother for the chikl of 
whom God has bereft her. 

The scenes and incidents of our California life 

" When fond recollection presents them to view," 

and the associations blended with our California experience, 
are replete with golden reminiscences of rare charm and rich' 
felicity ; appreciated by us at least, if not by the Gentiles, who 
never trod her soil or bathed in the waters of her Jordan, or 
reveled in the delights of her delectable climate and scenery. 
The skeptic and scoffer may, in the spirit of Naaman of 
old, exclaim : " Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Da- 
mascus, better than all the waters of Israel ?" but we who have 
seen the beauties and virtues of the waters, soil and clime of 
California, and felt the magical influence of her rich and novel 
experiences and associations, know whereof we speak, and know 
that we accord to her only the just raced of prai.^e and honor. 
For "the gold of that land is good"— "a land of corn and 
wine,^of oil olive and of honey;" with crystal golden streams, 
and broad-armed ports whereon rich navies ride •» with 
scenes of exquisite pastoral beauty, and landscnpes of grandest 
sublimity; all, golden scenes, incidents, associations and ex- 
periences, aye, golden virtues, too, that "smell sweet and bios- 
som_ m the dust" of our remembrance. Imbued with the 
spirit of the revived freshness and fragrance of these delightful 
memories, we bid you a glad and feeling welcome. 

But in the gladness of our welcome to the coming guest from 
her golden shores, and in our grateful tribute of affection to 
our beautiful Golden Land, we must not forget that "the 
place whereon thou standest is holy ground "-sacred to the 
birth of a nation, and hallowed as the sanctuary of the taber- 
nacle of the ark of the covenant-our matchless Constitution 
of government; the Mecca of Freedom to which we have, 
this day, made our pilgrimage to draw, at the altars our fathers 
built, fresh and pure inspirations of loyalty and devotion to 
our whole country. One hundred years ago, the Continental 
Congress here uttered the bold Declaration which severed our 



408 ADDRESS OF WELCOME. 

CoiiDectiou with the mother country and made us a nation ; 
and, building better than they knew, left us a goodly heritage 
of "Virtue, Liberty and Independence ;" bequeathed us a noble 
legacy of the most perfect league and covenant of union, that 
the wisdom of man ever devised. If Ave fail to guard, Avilh 
jealous care, the security and purity of the one, or to protect 
from the hands of the spoiler the majestic fabric of the other, 
the blame Avill lie with us, not with the fathers of the Republic. 
Then 

" Guard we but our own hearts ; with constant view 
To ancient morals, ancient manners true. 
True to the manlier virtues such as nerved 
Our fathers' breasts: then this proud land preserved 
For many a rugged age." 

"Land of the brave, athwart whose gloomy night 
Breaks the bright dawn and harbinger of light. 
May glory now efface each blot of shame. 
May freedom's torch e'er light thy path to fame ; 
May Christian truth m this thy sacred birth 
Add strength to empire, give to wisdom worth, 
And with the rich-fraught hopes of coming years 
Inspire thy triumphs while it dries thy tears." 

The age of California as a State, is but one-fourth of that of 
the Republic as a nation, and Avhen the English colonies of 
the Atlantic Avere thriving settlements, not even the bold rover 
of the Spanish main and of seas unknown had " spied out the 
land and found that it was good ;" yet she has " fretted her 
brief hour upon the stage " of history to the grand purpose 
and effect of the advancement of the greatness and richness of 
the Avhole country. And her pioneers are here to-day to offer, 
in the true Californian spirit of old, their devout and filial 
homage to the fathers of the Union, Avhose precious inherit- 
ance Avas borne by them, Avith the glorious ensign of the Re- 
public, to the far distant shores of the Pacific. And, in grate- 
ful return, and in triumphant pride, it has been the mission 
and glory of California 

" To scatter plenty o'er a smiling land 
And read her history in a nation's eyes." 



LETTERS OF EEGEET. 409 

For out of her opulence and abundance from soil, and rock, 
and stream, " wealth gilded our cities, commerce crowded our 
shores," and but for our late suicidal strife, the world would 
have witnessed, as predicted by President Polk, the permanent 
transfer of the control of its monetary concerns from London 
to New York. And if the treasures and products which Cali- 
fornia poured with bounteous hand into the coffers and grana- 
ries of the nation have been wasted through misrule, passion 
and folly, you. Pioneers of the Golden Laud, have the proud 
satisfaction of knowing that in all you have done to promote 
the progress and prosperity of your country, you have nobly 
illustrated the force and spirit of the words of the poet : 

"Act well your part, for there all honoi- lies." 

At the conclusion of General Gibson's address of wel- 
come, Mr. Francis D. Clark, Secretary of tlie " Associated 
Pioneers," followed with the reading of letters from in- 
vited guests unable to be present. These were from Presi- 
dent Grant, General Sherman, and from Emory L. Wil- 
lard and Colonel A. C. Bradford, Secretaries respectively 
of " The Territorial Pioneers of California," at San Fran- 
cisco, and the parent organization known as the " Society 
of California Pioneers," and Major-General Joseph W. 
Revere, of Morristown, N. J., who raised the first Ameri- 
can flag on the Bay of San Francisco, at Sonoma, and took 
possession of that district in the name of tlie United 
States, on July 9th, 1846. Letters were also read from 
Major-General James A. Hardie, who went to California 
as major of Colonel Stevenson's regiment; Hon. Philip 
A. Roach, ex-President of the " California Pioneers," and 
Bayard Taylor. The last-named gentleman, referring to 
General Sutter, stated that he had not seen him since he 
saw him in Monterey, in 1849, when he waltzed with him 
at the ball given at the close of the Constitutional Con- 
vention. 

After the playing of "O California" by the band, the 
orator of the day, ex-Governor Rodman M. Price, of ^ew 



410 GOV. price's oration. 

Jersey, was introduced to the assemblage and delivered the 
following interesting and eloquent oration : 

Fellow-Californians, Ladies and Gentlemen : — I 

greet you with the love and memories of our oiuly associatious. 
The retrospect of the oeeupatiou, settlement and progress of 
California for the past thirty years is so Avouderful a history 
that it would seem to verify the poet's aphorism : " 'Tis strange — 
but true; for truth is always strange — stranger than fiction." 

The growth of California in so short a period of time has 
been truly marvelous. It is eminently proper that so import- 
ant an event in the development of our country, to which Cali- 
fornia and our territory on the Pacific slope of the continent 
has contributed so abundantly, should be commemorated on 
these grounds dedicated to the exhibition of our national ad- 
vancement for the past century in resoui'ces and power. 

The rc-union of those associated in the early events of 
the acquisition, settlement and sudden devclojiment of the 
wealth of California on this the twenty-sixth anniversary of 
its admission into the Union as the thirty-first State of the Ke- 
public, is to us most gratifying and auspicious. 

In looking back and contrasting the condition of the Terri- 
tory when first acquired by the United States, and its present 
condition, it seems as if the voice of the Creator, as in the 
beginning, again called darkness into light, and is an event 
cherished alike in its proud significance by the citizens of the 
Atlantic and Pacific States. 

Scarcely had the echo of our victorious guns at Palo Alto 
and llesaca do la Pal ma, on the Ilio Grande, reached the 
silent shores of the Pacific Ocean, when a small squadron of 
our naval vessels, under the command of Commodore John D. 
Sloat, anchored before INIonterey, the Mexican capital of Upper 
California, anil demanded a surrender of the place, which being 
refused, a force was landeil on the 7th of July, 184G, which 
took possession, raised the American flag, and proclaimed the 
occupation of California by the United States, just in time to 
prevent its falling into the lap of England, whose ambition 
greatly coveted its possession. 

It was a bold act for the Amei'ican commodore, with so 



DISCO VEKY OF GOLD. 41 1 

small a naval force, to declare the occupation of so large a ter- 
ritory, so remote from supplies or reiuforcements. 

It was held, but not without a severe struggle, Avith the 
assistance of that gallant, hardy and brave battalion of the 
early settlers of California, commanded by General John C. 
Fremont, whose early exploration and military services uudcr 
the indomitable Conmiodore Stockton, the successor of Sloat, 
contributed largely toward sustaining our flag during the war. 

Immediately after the announcement had gone forth to the 
world, in 1848, that a treaty of peace had been made between 
the United States and Mexico, by which Upper California was 
ceded to our Government, James W. Marshall, a laboring man, 
discovered gold on the lands of Captain Sutter, on the Ameri- 
can River. The news of this discovery spread rapidly, and the 
immense immigration in 1849 at once followed. A rush to 
California from all parts of the world soon changed that pas- 
toral country into a broad scene of active commercial and 
mining life. 

The mountain gulches in the wild Sierra Nevada, where the 
white man bad never been, was soon teeming with ardent 
seekers for the golden treasure. The country whose currency 
had been hides was soon overflowing with gold-dust. The first 
discoveries were in placer diggings, but soon thereafter the 
auriferous veins of quartz were uncovered, and the skilled work 
of practical miners and the application of machinery followed. 
The indolent ranchero was supplanted by the active, intelligent 
and enlightened argonauts, enterprising, fearless, self-reliant 
men. 

The production of gold w^as large during 1849, and the prices 
paid for provisions were enormous, flour selling as high as $G0 
a barrel at San Francisco, and $100 at the mines. The emi- 
grants had to depend entirely upon a foreign supply of bread- 
stuffs, nor was it then believed it Avould ever be otherwise. 

It seems strange, indeed, that the soil supposed to be barren 
has proved the richest and most fertile of all the States, so that 
to-day, although its production of gold and silver is large, the 
value of its grain productions is much larger. Another mis- 
take was the under-estimate of arable land, and the supposed 



412 THE CHANGES OF THIHTY YEAKS. 

necessity for irrigation to produce crops. A nnicli larger fleet 
tliau was engaged iu bringing subsistence to California is now 
employed in cariying away lier productions. 

The liberal character of the Constitution made for the State 
has liad great influence upon its- jirosperity. Especially the 
rejection of slavery and involuntary servitude, which was car- 
ried by Southern men in the convention, though labor com- 
manded higher Avages than ever known before. The giving to 
women the right to hold separate property, both real and per- 
sonal, which they had acquired either before or after marriage, 
by gift, devise or descent, was also a marked instance of pro- 
gress. The prohibition of moneyed corpoi-ations from receiving 
special chartered rights was an important feature. 

It seems a dream, looking back through the vista of thirty 
years, and contrasting that rude and unsettled country with 
the present condition of the rich and thriving State of Califor- 
nia. We may almost claim a miracle has been performed, so 
great is the transformation. When I remember to have shot 
wild game in that early day on the site of the present business 
portion of the city of San Francisco, and on the very spot 
where the magnificent Palace Hotel has arisen iu its grand 
projiortious, I am deeply impressed by the rapid march of 
civilization, W'calth and refinement ; and when we reflect that 
San Francisco now ranks as the third commercial city of the 
Union, with a population of more than a quarter of a million, 
while the State is estimated at a million, and the Pacific slo2)c 
at a million and a half of people, it is difficult to realize the 
change. The importance and value of its acquisition cannot 
be fully estimated. Its influence has been by far the greatest 
since the birth of the nation, not even excepting the purchase 
of Louisiana from France. Imagination could not have fore- 
seen its importance, nor can Ave now foretell its future. 

The climate of California, extending with its 10° of lati- 
tude along the Pacific coast between 114° and 124° west 
longitude, is much milder, even at high elevations, than that 
of the same latitude on the Atlantic. In climate, California is 
as favored as in gold, excluding the extremes of the torrid 
and fi-igid zones. The physical character of her climate no 



THE WONDROUS CLIMATE. 413 

one can describe. The influence of location or topography or 
latitude puts all rules, as applied elsewhere, at defiance. Its 
infinite variety, both as to time and place, is not only charm- 
ing, but exceedingly useful. 

In localities, not more- than five miles distant from each 
other, the varieties of fruit, with the same care and culture, 
will vary from fifteen to twenty days in ripening. 

There is no fruit, grain or vegetable, native to any clime, 
save a few tropical plants, that California does not produce in 
the highest state of excellence and in the greatest abundance. 
Some of its valleys are said to be, by those of extensive travel 
and thorough observation, for their extent, beauty and fertility, 
unsurpassed on the globe. The sheltered valleys along the 
coast enjoy a delicious climate. In any other country ranging 
through 10° of latitude, the difference of temperature would 
be considerable, but in California this diflTerence is greatly 
increased by the i:)eculiari ties of its surface. 

The climate of California has thus been dwelt upon as 
having a great influence upon the marvelous fertility of the 
soil, both as to variety, quantity and size of its products. 
Figs, dates, oranges, olives and bananas flourish with the 
peach, pear, apple and apricot. Wheat, barley and oats yield 
largely. Tobacco, cotton, rice, tea and coffee are all cultivated 
successfully, and no one can doubt for a moment, who has any 
intelligence upon the subject, that California is destined in the 
early future to produce more and better grapes, raisins and 
wine than any other district of equal extent on which the ^n 
ever shone. Indeed, all the productions of the earth seem to 
flourish within her boundary. It is a curious contemplation 
to speculate what influence her temperature, so uniform, and 
climate, so salubrious, are to have upon the mental and physi- 
cal growth of man in the future. One-quarter more time can 
be given to labor and study, with less mental or bodily fatigue, 
than on the Atlantic, so we may reasonably look there for the 
highest mental and physical development. There are no real 
vicissitudes of climate, nothing enervating in temperature, 
and it is a land supplying every want and furnishing every 
luxuiy. 



414 IMMENSE VALUE OF IIER PRODUCTS. 

Twenty-five years ago a stream of gold went out in jiaymcutfor 
brcadstufis and manufactured goods. To-day it is reversed — her 
production and export of wheat in value is greater annually 
than the product of her gold, in which, however, she still 
holds the first rank. She is now manufacturing her articles of 
necessity, and is self-sustaining, with all the elements of a great 
empire. There is not a want, there is not a luxury, there is 
not a creature comfort that cannot be supplied Avithin her 
borders. There is not uu clement of national power, wealth 
or greatness, but what her hills and valleys produce. 

If we may be permitted to look perspectively into the future, 
and take the growth of California for the past thirty years as 
a base for her future growth, what, we may ask, is to be the 
population and wealth on her Centennial anniversary? Even 
now, it is believed by many, that California olibrs larger in- 
ducements for settlement, and promises greater reward for 
labor and capital than at any time during her history. 

We nuist not forget in tracing the events of her progress 
that she has constructed and completed 2,000 miles of railroad, 
which, in connection with her steamship line to Japan and 
China, will o2)en up for her a great future in trade and com- 
merce. 

It is a singular reflection to the early pioneers, to know that 
the products of China are arriving almost daily at the Atlan- 
tic sea-ports, by the way of Ban Francisco and the Pacific 
railroad. Who of ns could have ever expected that a pas- 
seiger car carrying the mall could pass from New York 
to San Francisco in the incredibly short time of eighty-eight 
hours ? 

Year after year a contimial stream of the precious metals, 
having its source in the hills and mountains of that coast, has 
been poured abroad into the channels of trade and commerce. 
In all, no less a sum than $1,763,000,000. Added to this, 
Avheat has been i)roduced worth $360,000,000; wool, worth 
$63,000,000; quicksilver, $20,000,000; wine, $20,000,000; 
coal, $23,000,000; lumber, 70,000,000, with other items a 
grand total of $2,336,000,000. 

Her sister State, Nevada, will take the first rank in the pro- 



A TRIBUTE OF EESPECT. 415 

duction of the precious metals this year, in giving to the world 
$55,000,000 of gold and silver, but California still retains the 
pre-eminence in gold. 

We are glad to say that in the rajiid progress and growth 
of California, the church, the school and the press have ad- 
vanced as rapidly in their various spheres of usefulness as the 
most enlightened Christian people could desire. 

When we look over the list of our early associates in Cali- 
fornia, we can point to men eminent and distinguished in all 
the walks of life. The very air of California seems to stimu- 
late an ambition to excel, quicken and enlarge the mind and 
to make it more comprehensive, clear and tenacious of its 
purpose. Generals Grant, Sherman, Hooker, Kearney, Fre- 
mont, Gibson, Mason, Kiley and many others arc graduates of 
California ; as also are Sloat, Stockton, Mervine, Montgomery, 
DuPont, Shubrick, Jones, Revere, Beale and Paterson, of the 
navy. 

Mercantile life was represented by men of the strictest in- 
tegrity, sound business principles, enterprising, liberal and 
conservative, inspiring confidence and maintaining honest 
dealing at a time when men trusted each other iniplicitly ; 
individual honor was at stake, and there was no breach of 
trust. The legal and medical professions were distinguished 
for their attainments, ability and thorough, sound professional 
acquirements. 

Associates, we will not separate without paying a fitting 
tribute of respect to the parent society of pioneers, organized 
" to cultivate the social virtues of its members, to collect and 
preserve information connected with the early settlement and 
conquest of California, and to perpetuate the memory of (liose 
whose sagacity, enterprise and love of independence induced 
them to settle in the wilderness and become the germ of a new 
State." For thirty years we have cherished, almost as brothers, 
the ties of regard and iriendship that have bound us together 
as pioneers of the west coast ; and now, after a brief re-union, 
we are about to part. Undoubtedly to some of us this friendly 
meeting will be our last, but I am sure I express the common 
sentiment of all v/lien I say that lii'e has had for me no more 



416 THE SONG OF THE ARGONAUTS. 

grateful retrospect, and memory no more treasured recollections 
than the associations and friendships of those early days. 

For you, Californians, who now enjoy the privilege and the 
blessings of a residence in the Golden State, let me say in your 
behalf: 

" Great God, we thank thee for this home — 
This bounteous birth-land of the free ; 
Where wanderers from afar may come 

And breathe the air of liberty. 
Still may her flowers untrampled spring, 

Her harvests wave, her cities rise; 
And yet till Time shall fold his wing, 
Remain Earth's loveliest paradise." 

The conclusion of the oration was followed by the 
" Song of the Argonauts, or, The Days of 'Forty- 
nine," written expressly for the occasion by Samuel C. 
Upham, and sung by INIr. George A. Conly, basso of the 
Kellogg Opera Troupe. The song was rendered in fine 
style, the large audience rapturously applauding the senti- 
ment, and joining in the chorus. 

Axn—Auld Lang Syne. 

"VYe are assembled here to-day — 

A band of Pioneers, 
To celebrate with grateful hearts. 

Events of by-goue years : 
AVe come from hill and valley fair. 

Sierras capped with snow — 
With kindly words Ave greet you now, 
Dear friends of long ago. 
Chorus — Oh, cherished be for evermore, 
The days of auld lang syne. 
Those golden days — remembered days — 
The days of 'Forty-nine. 

Fresh laurel-wreaths we bring to-day, 
To crown the Patriarch,* 

* General John A. Sutter, aged 74 years. 



THE SONG OF THE ARGONAUTS. 417 

Whose hand unlocked the golden ore, 

In gulch and canon dark. 
Old Pioneer ! thy name we still 

In all our hearts enshrine ; 
God's blessing rest upon thy head, 

Dear friend of auld laug syne ! 
Chorus — Oh, cherished be for evermore, etc. 

We are a band of Argonauts, 

Erst from Eureka State, 
By some the golden fleece was found, 

Whilst others mourned their fate. 
We digged in gulch and delved in mine. 

From morn till setting sun, 
With aching limbs and moistened brows — 

But perseverance won. 
CJiorus — Oh, cherished be for evermore, etc. 

No maiden's voice, with cheering words, 

Was heard in mine or camp — 
The miner's food was grizzly meat. 

And knot of pine his lamp. 
But changes great have taken place. 

Since days of 'Forty-nine, 
The miner now in comfort dwells, 

And kneels at woman's shrine. 
Chorus — Oh, cherished be for evermore, etc. 

Hillside, ravine and tule marsh 

Now blossom as the rose, 
And 'round Diablo's verdant base, 

The crystal streamlet flows. 
Now glory be to God on high ! 

Let this our ptean be — 
And peace on earth, good-will to man, 

Our prayer, O God, to Thee ! 
Chorus — Oh, cherished be for evermore, etc. 



418 SPEECHES BY IIOOKEE, AND CURTIiSr. 

After the rendering of a Potpourri of Operatic airs by 
the band, Major-General Joseph Hooker, who occupied a 
seat in the audience, was called upon by the Chairman, 
General Gibson, and introduced to the audience. When 
the enthusiasm which greeted his presence by the side of 
the Chairman had abated, the gallant General, amid re- 
peated bursts of merriment, spoke as follows : 

Ladies and Gentlemen : — If you can tell me why I am 
on this platform, I wish you would. [Laughter.] I don't 
want to be placed in a ridiculous position, as I always am when 
I attempt to make a speech. I am not going to make the at- 
tempt, however. You have heard talking, and good talking ; 
and if you want anybody to talk, here is ex-Goveruor Curtiu — 
he will talk to you by the yard, and he will talk well, too. 

A series of cheers, loud calls for " Curtin," and the in- 
troduction of ex-Governor Curtin by the Chairman as "the 
great AVar Governor of Pennsylvania," prepared the audi- 
ence for another extempore speech. 

Expressing his obligations to General Hooker for the 
complimentary reference to himself, and adding that his 
speech was not on the programme, the Governor said he 
had come as a spectator to look into the faces of the men 
who settled California and conquered the Pacific coast ; but 
if anything could inspire a man to speak, it was the present 
occasion. In heathen mythology, Jason went to hunt the 
golden fleece, and this had been celebrated in song and clas- 
sic poetry, and handed down through mysterious and un- 
certain history. AVhether it was fact or fable, is not 
known, but a fact which is well known, is that an enter- 
prising man left his free home in the Alps, and passing out 
to the Pacific coast, found in the tail-race of a saw-mill the 
glittering metal which has made California what it is to- 
day. The discovery has created new States, made marvel- 
ous changes in the commerce of the world and enabled the 



THE BAN'QUET. 419 

American people to take a forward leap of fifty years. 
It is pleasant for a Pennsylvanian to be surronnded by 
the men who made a new empire and brought it into the 
great Commonwealth of States. The Pioneers of Cali- 
fornia before me have taken from the Eastern States the 
best blood of those States, their youth, integrity, energy 
and enterprise. AVith the traditions of the past in their 
minds, the glory of their great country in their hearts, they 
needed no school-masters, but brouglit California into tlie 
Union Avithout probation, full-fledged in all that makes a 
Commonwealth great. Alluding to the Centennial and the 
l^atriotic memories of the INIecca of American liberty, he 
said that above all achievements of art, science and manu- 
factures, the crowning glory of the Exhibition was its 
demonstration of what one hundred years of liberty could 
do for a people — nay, more, of how a free people, after 
discord, death and carnage, could come together in frater- 
nity. The Governor's remarks were liberally applauded, 
and at their close three rousing cheers were given for him. 

Mr. Colin M. Boyd, of San Francisco, President of the 
"Territorial Pioneers of California," closed the 
oratory with an expression to the audience of the greetings 
of their associates in California, whom he had left a week 
before. He said the day was being generally celebrated by 
the Pioneer Societies in California, and that its members 
felt that, though separated from them by a continent, the 
Pioneers of the East were to-day identified with them as 
thoroughly as they were in 'Forty-nine. 

At four o'clock, P. M., some four hundred ladies and 
gentlemen, with many guests of the Society, partook of a 
banquet at the Globe Hotel, under the management of that 
prince of caterers, ]\[r. John Rice. A sudden alarm, 
caused by a destructive conflagration in the immediate 
neighborhood, at half-past four o'clock, and which for a 
short time threatened the destruction of the hotel, caused 
a stampede among the guests and occasioned an interrup- 
24 



420 GENERAL GIBSON's ADDRESS. 

tion of llic feast, which Avas finally resumed witliout serious 
inconvenience to the participants. When justice had been 
done to the substautials of the tables, Governor Ilarlranft 
■welcomed tlio company to the State and commended the 
purpose of the organization. General IT. G. Gibson, Presi- 
dent of the "Associated Pioneers," then delivered the 
following address : 

Frr^Low-CALiFORNiANS, Ladies and Genttlemen: — In 
the I'ullucss of our joy at the success of the day, uud after re- 
freshing the inner man from the abundance provided for our 
delectation and sustenance by our goodly Boniface in this 
goodly city of Philadelphia, let us ■with merry hearts making 
cheerful countenances, hold sweet converse together about our 
beautiful and beloved California. We have been delighted to- 
day by the glowing recital of her glories and her triunij)hs, and 
by the well-told story of the 2)roud achievements of her sturdy 
Pioneers, reminding us, if we needed any reminder, that in the 
acquisition and development of her opulent regions, and in the 
foundation of a noble State — quorum pars magna Jul — each one 
of us contributed according to his opportunity, whether the 
widow's mite, or the largest measure of effort, influence and 
ability. Our hearts have been gladdened, too, to-day, by the 
presence of so many of the sons of the Golden State — her Pio- 
neers of ancient days, aud citizens of later years, as well as her 
exiles in the East, but still her children ; for, she claims that 
" no divorce can separate a mother from her sou." Aud, above 
all, while 

" Memory blends with llic twilight charm, 

And bears us back to otiier days," 
and 

" Hand in hand as friends we wander 

Down tlic golden aisles of tiie long-ago," 

we thank God that He has blessed to us the golden richness 
of her associations, and the diamond roughness of her expe- 
riences. We have not " gathered grapes of thorns, or figs of 
thistles," for the fruits of our experience have come from no 
barren soil or unnatural growth. And amid the richest and 



GENERAL GIBSOxV's ADDRESS. 421 

best of God's gifts to man in her lovely clime, we have found 
no fruit to " turn like Dead-sea fruit to ashes on the lip," but 
only that which is delicious and fragrant in remembrance. 
The magic glass of memory casts only "rare and roseate 
shadows " from her varied scenes of the past, and the same 
rich hue, the same couleur de rose, the same halo of enchant- 
ment which led us far away from home and kindred and 
friends in years gone by, still lingers around the El Dorado of 
our youth. And strong, vivid and charming as the scenes of 
our childhood, when recalled, as 

" the musical clink 
Of the ice on your wine-goblet's brink 
A chord of my memory awoke. 

" And I stood in the pasture-field where, 

Many summers ago, I liad stood. 
And I heard in that sound, I declare, 
The clinking of bells on the air 

Of the cows coming home from the wood. 

"Then the apple-blossoms shook on the hill ; 

And the mullein-stalks tilted each lance ; 
And the sun bcliind Rapalve's mill 
Was my uttermost west, and could thrill, 

Like the Ultima Thule of romance." 

"With SO many pleasing memories and richly-instructive 
experiences of the Golden Land, then our 

— " uttermost west that could thrill, 
Like the Ultima Thule of Romance," 

in which "our youth was nurtured and sustained," though 
perhaps not always with a kindly hand, is it any wonder that 
our pulses quicken and our hearts throb with pleasurable emo- 
tion on these occasions, and that " when two or three are gath- 
ered together in her name," then we feel her benign spirit is 
" in the midst of them." Until the muffled drum within us 
shall cease to beat, we can never become cold or callous to 
those inspiring feelings and impressions, keenly felt alike by 
the ancient Pioneer, whose name is a synonym for all that is 



422 GENERAL GIBSON's ADDRESS. 

iioblc, " lovely, and of good report ;" by " the toilers of the 
sea " to her golden shores, who 

"Each took a horn in homage to the Horn;" 

by the imperiled and delayed voyager by the Isthmus route, 
or the -way-worn traveler of the dreary plains and forbidding 
mountains ; by the seekers for the rich ore reposing in her 
bosom ; by those who " tickled her soil Avith a hoe and made 
it laugh with a harvest," or quaffed the nectar of the rich 
juices of her vintage, 

" Whose sweet perfume fills all the room 
"With a benison on the Giver ;" 

by those who, standing awe-struck in the presence of the 
mighty monarchs of her mighty forests, no longer wondered 
at the peculiar idolatry of our Druid ancestors, but were im- 
pressed with a feeling of genuine " wori^hip of that Divine 
something, which blossoms in the weed and whose highest 
phase is manifest in the beauty of holiness." 

I will not detain you by repeating the story of her glory 
and success, or of the blessings and benefits flowing in richest 
streams of ever-widening channels throughout the whole 
Union — resulting from the annexation of California, for it is 
more than a thricc-told tale — and of which, I trust, you Avill 
never weary. But in the radiant light of the past, it requires no 

" sunset of life — giving mystical lore," 

or vision of the prophet to predict that yet 

"High on his rock shall California's genius stand, 
Scatter the crowded hosts and vindicate the land ;" 

scatter the crowded hosts that imperil the safety and pros- 
perity of the Republic, and vindicate the land by yet more 
glorious triumphs and successes — still pointing as in the past 
from her bold promontories, stretching far out toward " the 
sunny regions of Cathay," and saying to the nation: " There 
is the East ! There is India !" 



GREETINGS BY TELEGRAPH. 423 

Brief remarks were also made by General Hooker, 
Joaquin Miller, poet of the Sierras, and Colonel Charles 
N. Pine, editor of the Philadelphia Day. The audience 
having tendered their thanks to ]\[r. S. C. Upham, for his 
contribution of " The Song of the Argonauts" that gentle- 
man acknowledged the compliment in a brief speech. The 
festivities then closed with the singing of the above song, 
the entire audience joining in the chorus. 

Major John S. Stevenson, manager of the " Pacific 
Coast Centennial Hall," and his assistant, Mr. A. D. 
Smith, rendered efficient aid during the day. Thus ended 
" California Day" one of the most agreeable re-unions and 
notable events of the Centennial Exhibition. 

Before the close of the exercises at the Centennial 
Grounds, the following telegrams were sent to California : 

Philadelphia, Sept. 9th, 1876. 
To John C. Burch, First Vice-President, Piatt's Hall, San 
Fraucisco: — Your President, Colin M. Boyd, is our honored 
guest to-day. We greet you as brothers. May we ever re- 
main true to our early California experiences. 

Francis D. Clark, 

8ec'y Associated Pioneers. 

Philadelphia, Pa., Sept. 9th, 1876. 
To THE Territorial Pioneers op California, Piatt's 
Hall: — The day was celebrated with great success here, Sut- 
ter, Price, Hooker, Gibson, Clark and four hundred others did 
honor to the Golden State. 

Colin IM. Boyd, 

President. 



SECOND ANNUAL RE-UNION AND BANQUET 
OP "THE ASSOCIATED PIONEERS OF THE 
TERRITORIAL DAYS OF CALIFORNIA." 



Committee of Arrangements — Report of Secretary and Treasurer 
Clark — Election of officers — The banquet — President Gibson's 
address — Addresses by General Thomas D. Johns, Joseph S. 
Spinney, Clark Bell, Colonel James M. Turner, Samuel C. Upham 
and Colonel John A. Godfrey. 

The Second Annual Re-union and Banquet of " The 
Associated Pioneers of the Territokial Days of 
California," was held at the Sturtevant House, New 
York, on the evening of the 18th of January, 1877, being 
the twenty-ninth anniversary of the discovery of gold at 
Sutter's saw-mill, at Coloma, California. The different 
committees were composed of the following gentlemen, 
members of the Society : 

COMMITTEE OF ARRANGEMENTS. 

Gen. H. G. Gibson, U. S. A., Hon. C. K. Garrison, 

Gen. C. S. Merchant, U. S. A., George Howes, 

Gen. Joseph Hooker, U. S. A., George F. Sniffen, 

Commander Eich'd W. Meade, U. S. N., James A. Sperry, 

John Laimbeer, Jeremiah Sherwood, 

Edward F. Burton, John Gault, 
Gen. Thos. D. Johns, Chairman. 



COMMITTEE ON INVITATION. 

John Sickels, Joseph S. Spinney, 

Gii.MOR Meredith, Charles E. Thompson, 

Edwin C. Kemble, Cornelius Lydecker, 

John G. Hodge, Gen. John S. Ellis. 

(424) 



ELECTION^ OF OFFICERS. 425 

KECEPTION COMMITTEE. 

Gen. James F. Curtis, Gen. F. E. Pinto, 

Edgar W. Crowell, Wm. C. Annan, 

H. B. Hawkins, James H. Butler, 

William M. Walton, S. L. Merchant, 

Chas. W. Schumann, Edward E. Anthony. 



COMMITTEE ON TOASTS AND MUSIC. 

Col. John A. Godfrey, K. E. Griffith, Jr., 

Hon. E. II. JIcKuNE, John J. Hager, 

Joseph M. Pray, A. T. Goodell. 



COMMITTEE ON DECORATIONS. 



Olivek II. PiERSON, Col. James E. Nuttman, 

Benj. W. Jenxess, Major Eussell Myers, 

William II. Eogers, John Wolfe. 



Gen. II. G. Gibson, U. S. A., President. 

John Sickels, Vice-President. 

Francis D. Clark, Secretary and Treasurer. 



Previous to tlie banquet, Mr. Francis D. Clark, Secre- 
tary and Treasurer, read liis report of the work of both 
offices for the year just closed. An election for officers for 
the year 1877 then took place, when the following gentle- 
men were re-elected : 

General H. G. Gibson, President. 

Colonel John Sickels, Vice-President 

Mr. Francis D. Clark, Secretary and Treasurer. 

At the close of the meeting, the Pioneers and their 
guests repaired to the banquet- room, which was hand- 
somely decorated with flags and streamers, prominent 
among which was the " Pioneer Bear Flag." Among the 



426 MOTTOES AND DEVICES. 

mottoes and devices on the walls were : " Monterey, July 
7th, 1846 ;" " The Bear Flagmen of 1846 ;" " The Horn, 
around in 180 Days ;" " Sloat, Stockton, Shubrick ;" 
" The Exchanges of '49— El Dorado, Bella Union, Parker 
House;" "The Fastest Ship, Young America — The 
Largest Ship, Three Brothers ;" " The Isthmus, across, by 
Bungo and Mule ;" " The First American Newspaper in 
Caliibrnia — The CalifornianJ^ The banquet was gotten 
up by the Messrs. Leland, in their inimitable style, and 
among the characteristic dishes were : " Lobster Salad, a la 
San Francisco ;" " Pork and Beans, a la '49," and " Roast 
California Quail, a la Pacific Slope." The ornaments on 
the table included a "California Hunting Scene," and 
" Corn d' Abundance." Among those who sat down to the 
banquet were Generals Joseph Hooker, Innis N. Palmer, 
H. G. Gibson, U. S. A ; Generals Thos. D. Johns, John S. 
Ellis, James F. Curtis; S. L. Merchant, Esq.; Commander 
R. W. Meade, U. S. N. ; Colonels John A. Godfrey, James 

E. Nuttman, James M. Turner, T. B. Thorpe and Edward 

F. Burton ; Francis D. Clark, Clark Bell, Prentice Mul- 
ford, S. C. Upham and Prof. Jules Lombard. After the 
removal of the cloth, the following eloquent address was 
delivered by General H. G. Gibson, President of the 
Society : 

Fellow-Californians: — This greeting of mine to-night 
comes with mingled feelings of pleasure and surprise, inasmuch 
as I had abandoned all hope of participating with you in this 
Annual Re-union and Banquet of the Society. Though, per- 
haps, among you I ought to feel like Macgrcgor on his native 
heath, full of the spirit aroused by familiar scenes and faces, yet 
I must confess, from the effect of various cares and duties, to 
some degree of unfitness for the occasion. " Though crowd- 
ing thoughts distract the lab'ring brain," and filled though the 
heart may be with inspiring and delightful memories, even of 
the scenes and associations of our California life, " the thoughts 
that breathe and words that burn," do not always readily re- 



GENERAL GIBSOn's ADDKESS, 427 

spond to the promptings of the brain, or to tlic feelings or 
emotions of the heart. But feeble as may be my expression of 
them, I greet you none the less cordially, welcome you none 
the less heartily, to the social board. I pray as the golden 
light of other days illumines the rich clusters of incidents, "of 
moving accidents by flood and field," recalled by each of us 
to-night, that we may each enjoy in retrospect the delicious 
happiness which we experienced when, in the heyday of youth, 
we " listened with credulity to the Avhispers of fancy, j^ursued 
with eagerness the phantoms of hope," and inspired by 
"the voice of the charmer," toiled on, hoped on toward the 
golden goal of our individual ambition. Whatever may have 
been our fortune in seeking the " bright jewels of the mine," 
sought by us afar, in the wilds of California, we at least 
learned the golden virtues of patience, fortitude and self-reli- 
ance. And proudly, too, of the Pioneers of California, it may 
be said: Out of the wilderness at their touch came forth 
plenty ; out of the brain of the modern Jupiter — the American 
Pioneer — leaped the full-armed, matured State ; out of the lion 
slain by this modern Samson came forth the sweetness of the 
vine — " of oil, olive and of honey." But as the story of Cali- 
fornia and her Pioneers will be told you over and over again 
to-night, to your gladly listening ears, I feel that I must refrain 
from its repetition, in deference to others who may wish the 
story to relate. 

A few words before I close, and I utter them in no 
sj)irit of party feeling or j)rejudice, but as " the words of truth 
and soberness;" I have come to you to-night from the sorely- 
stricken State of South Carolina, many of whose citizens Avere 
and are of our near or full brotherhood , who, either as sons 
of the soil of the Southern Palmetto stood shoulder to shoulder 
with the sons of the soil of the Northern Oak, in the brilliant 
war, which gave to the Union the treasures of California ; or 
with us 

" Digged in gulch and delved in mine, 
From morn till setting sun," 

in that land of beauty and of gold ; whose hearts are yet warm 



428 LETTERS OF REGRET. 

with the sunny memories of their California life and experiences, 
and whose hands ever meet in manly, cordial grasp, the friends 
and comrades of the 

" Golden days, remembered days, 
The days of 'Forty-nine." 

In the evil days which have come upon them, in their sore trial, 
and in their fiery furnace of affliction — be it from their sins or be 
it from ours — we may not be able to give them aid and com- 
fort beyond the expression of our sympathy, but we can plead 
for them — act toward them in the spirit of the Golden Rule, 
and as sons of the Golden Land, cherishing the fond memories 
of the past, greet them from here to-night, as Ave greet each 
other around the festive circle : 

" And here's a hand, my trusty fier. 
And gie's a hand o' thine ; 
And we'll tak' a right guid willie-waught, 
For auld lang syne." 

At the conclusion of General Gibson's acklress, Secre- 
tary Clark read letters of regret at their inability to at- 
tend the re-union, from President Grant, Generals Sherman, 
Sheridan and John A. Sutter, ISIark Twain, Bayard Tay- 
lor and Peter Donahue, ex-President of the " Society of 
California Pioneers," of San Francisco. 

In reply to the first toast — " The President of the United 
States " — Colonel T. B. Thorpe said he never saw such a Cen- 
tennial. We couldn't tell who was our President, and three 
of our States had each two Governors, and nobody could tell 
who was who. The two Houses of Congress had got into a 
snarl, and the lower House (and by-the-way, it was very 
low), didn't seem to know what it was about, and had, ap- 
parently, lost its w'its. 

" The Bay we Celebrate, the Anniversary of the Discovery 
of Gold in California," was responded to by General 
Thomas D. Johns, as follows : 



GENERAL JOHNS's ADDEESS. 429 

Mr. President and Gentlemen : — Although the day we 
celebrate is not marked down in the Calendar of Saints as 
officially set apart as a close holiday ; nor is it, perhaps, even 
noticed, except by this Society, it is one that may well be re- 
membered as the commencement, the starting-point or moving 
cause of great events that followed. 

Twenty-nine years ago to-day, near the Indian Bancheria, 
at Coloma, in what is now El Dorado County, the first gold 
was discovered in California. AVith the incidents of that dis- 
covery you are all familiar ; they have been repeated many a 
time and oft, and have now passed into history. The bearing 
of that discovery on the future who can tell, or even imagine? 
We know what the results have been during the past twenty- 
five years, in which has been founded a grand and pros- 
perous empire on the Pacific coast — and this is but the 
beginning. 

Toiling through long years, the early settlements at Ply- 
mouth, New Amsterdam and in Virginia progressed slowly. 
True, they were builded on a firm foundation, but the advance- 
ment in a century of their existence did not equal that of a 
single decade in the more favored land of the farther West ! 

The little "nugget" that first saw the light of day at Sut- 
ter's Mill, was the talisman that wrought a wondrous change. 
Its pure ring sounded and vibrated almost to the uttermost 
bounds of the earth, and attracted a wave of emigration that 
rushed, with all the speed of wind and tide, from both hemi- 
spheres and, on our own continent, traversed the inhospitable 
plains, scaled the rugged peaks of our western mountains, and 
thus peopled the slumbering valleys and fertile plains from the 
Sierras to the sea. 

When the unpretending Marshall raised that little " nugget " 
from its rest of centuries, wondering what manner of metal it 
might be, little did he dream that his accidental discovery 
would lead to such scenes as those in which we have partici- 
pated, and to such results as the world now beholds ! Even 
the keen intelligence and education of Sutter, recognizing at 
first sight the glittering gold, could not foresee the wonderful 
and rapid transformation to be wrought from the incidents 



430 A GOOD WORD FOR THE MINERS. 

of that day, whose recurring anniversary Ave have met to 
celebrate. 

A certain chass of moralists are wont to inveigh roundly 
against gold-hunting and gold-mining as demoralizing, revolu- 
tionary and semi-barbarous ; as giving scope and activity to 
the lower passions, encouraging men to waste, to habits of idle- 
ness and improvidence, and causing them to neglect the higher 
duties of life in the search for what they term " filthy lucre ;" 
Avhile the lucre itself they value highly, and sometimes worship, 
after it is taken from mother earth and stamped as current 
coin of the realm. We know that the idea thus sought to be 
impressed is erroneous. And, gentlemen, I would stoutly de- 
fend your early career in the " diggin's" from any such unjust 
aspersions. Whatever you are now, the great majority of those 
before me wei-e once " honest miners" — the representative men, 
who with level heads, stout hearts and willing hands helped to 
unlock the treasure-house of California, and at whose bidding 
was poured forth the plenty that belongs to man. And these 
results represent labor, honorable labor, Avliich is the founda- 
tion of all values ; those millions, whatever may be the changes 
through which they have passed, and whatever may represent 
them now, originally represented the industry, intelligence and 
thrift of the gold-miners of California. 

And just here I would say a good word in behalf of that 
great army of irrepressible " prospectors," who, as skirmishers, 
fringe the advancing line of our frontiers in search of " colors 
to the pan," or of " pay rock," thus lead the way for a new 
civilization, and for new and peaceful conquests. Thus has it 
been from the discovery of that " nugget" at Coloma down to 
the present day. 

Following in quick succession, towns and cities were built, 
States organized, broad acres cultivated, and the varied indus- 
tries of man were quickened into life and activity by the fruc- 
tifying influence of the gold-fields of the new El Dorado. 

Nor has California alone received all the benefits resulting 
from Marshall's discovery. They have been felt in almost 
every part of the world — nowhere more than in our own coun- 
try. Particularly in this imperial city, large enterprises have 



TOASTS AND RESPONSES. 431 

been stimulated by the gold of the Pacific slojoe ; and we can 
point to opulent bankers, enterprising railroad and shipping 
proprietors and substantial merchants, who raised their first 
" stake " in or through the California gold-mines, and ■without 
which they might not have had the success to which they were 
entitled. 

As the mountain-springs and the modest rivulets are but the 
beginnings of the majestic river and the mighty cataract, so 
this apparently insignificant discovery by an humble laborer 
has led to the wonderful development of the material interests 
of that great West. The stillness of those primeval forests has 
been broken by the echo of the locomotive, the frowning 
Sierras have been subdued, and the wilderness made to blos- 
som as the I'ose. Towers, domes and spires cast their shadows 
upon the sea, on whose shores sits enthroned the palatial city, 
whose rapid march to greatness has been the wonder of the 
age. 

To you, gentlemen, and to such as you, that discovery of 
gold gave the well-improved opportunity of founding this new 
empire on the shore of the Pacific — surely, " Peace hath her 
victories no less renowned than war." 

" California " — was responded to by Colonel Edward 
F. Burton in a humorous speech, which was frequently 
applauded. 

" General, John A. Sutter " — was responded to by 
General H. G. Gibson, in his happiest style. 

" Pioneer Days " — by Joseph S. Spinney. 

" Pacific Eailroad" — by Clark Bell. 

" Our Honored Dead " — by Colonel Jas. M. Turner. 

" Days of 'Forty-nine " — by Samuel C. Upham, of 
Philadelphia. 

" Woman " — by Colonel John A. Godfrey. 

In response to " Days of ^ Forty -nine,'' Mr. Upham said : 

Mr. President and Brother Pioneers : — In response to 
your invitation, I am here to-night, the guest of "The Asso- 
ciated Pioneers of the Territorial Days of California," and I 



432 "the days of '49," AND 

tliauk God that life aud health have permitted mc to he with 
you on this occasion, an occasion fraught with incidents of the 
past, in which we were all ])artieij)ants. 

I was somewhat surprised, on JSIouday morning last, at re- 
ceiving from the Secretary of this Society a postal card contain- 
ing the following announcement : 

" 4th regular toast — The Days of '49 ; response by S. C. 
Upham." 

Unfortunately, Mr. President, my tongue is not like the pen 
of a ready writer. Rude am I of speech, and little blessed 
Avith the accomplishments of the orator, yet I will, relying upon 
your indulgence, 

" A round, unvarnished tale deliver, 
Nothing extenuate, nor set down aiiglit in malice." 

At the re-union of Californians at the Centennial Grounds, in 
Phihidelphia, on the 9th of September last, T had the pleasure 
of meeting, for the first time, the officers and several of the 
members of this Society, and the kindly greeting and the 
hearty welcome I have received this evening at their and your 
hands, Mr. President, I shall ever cherish tis one of the most 
pleasurable events of my life. We met on that occasion to do 
honor to the State, at whose birth — more than a quarter of a 
century ago — many of us officiated as god-fathcrs. Our bant- 
ling has long since cast off her swaddling-clothes, and to-day, 
in the fullness of her maturity aud matchless beauty, crowned 
with the gems once hidden in her soil, she stands the brightest 
and sunniest star in the constellation of ther States of our 
glorious Union. The wealth of the Occident, that is constantly 
pouring into her lap through the portals of the Golden Gate, 
together with her unbounded mineral and agricultural re- 
sources, have gained for her the honored and deserved title 
of Queen of the Pacific. 

To the members of this Society, Mr. President, and especially 
to the nniiring efforts of your Sccretari/, Mr. Francis D. Clark, 
Avus the success of the re-uniou of tlie 9th of September last 
chielly due. That it was a success, in the fullest acceptation 





From a Photo by J. Kennie Smith, Newark, N. J. 



433. 



MR. upham's eesponse. 435 

of the term, no one who was present can gainsay. It was one 
of the most noticeable and agreeable State re-unions that had 
taken place at the Centennial Grounds up to that time, and 
only in numbers was it subsequently excelled by the re-unions 
of other States. 

The citizens of California, Mr. President, who arc interested 
in the welfare and prestige of their State, owe to this Society 
and its co-laborers their heartfelt thanks. Had they not put 
their shoulders to the wheel, the name of California would not 
have been inscribed on the roll of Centennial State re-unions. 
In rendering the full meed of praise to this Society, I have no 
desire to ignore the services of a few patriotic and liberal- 
minded citizens of California and Nevada, Avho subscribed the 
funds and caused the erection of the "Pacific Coast Centennial 
Hall," under whose roof the re-union to which I have just 
alluded took place. They also deserve the thanks of their 
fellow-eiiizens. Let us " render unto Ciesar the things that 
are Caesar's." 

When I look around me to-night, Mr. President, and scan 
the faces of my brother-Argonauts, memories of the past, inci- 
dents by " flood and field " of the days when we went gold- 
hunting, long, long ago, crowd as thickly upon the mind 

"As leaves in Valambrosa !" 

May those memories ever remain green in our hearts. 

Days of 'Forty-nine! Three simple, yet to me significant 
words ; words that cause memories of the past to arise before 
me. The long and tedious voyage around Cape Horn ; life in 
the mines; scenes in camp and canon; across the Isthmus by 
mule and" bungo, are so indelibly photographed upon the retina 
of the mind, that nothing but death will efface them. Many 
of our comrades who went forth in the flush of manhood never 
returned, and their bones lie mouldering on the western plains, 
in the sands of the ocean, and in the gulches and canons of the 
far-off" Pacific slope. Occasionally, one of those modern Argo- 
nauts found the golden fleece and returned home a richer if not 
a wiser man ; but those cases were exceptions to the general 
rule. A majority, after toiling months and years in the mines, 



436 MUSIC AXD SONGS. 

■\Ycro as impecunious as the trailitioual fowl belonging to the 
good niau we read about ^Yho Avas aiiiicted with boils ! 

lu " the days of '49," the miner with his rude implements — 
pick, spade, pan and rocker or cradle, minus the baby — toiled 
early and late. When success crowned his eftorts, he was jubi- 
lant and built castles in the air, but the ill luck of the morrow 
demolished those visionary fobrics, and with a saddened heart 
he yearned lor his far-away home and the loved ones around 
the old hearthstone. In those days every miner was his own 
cook and Avasherwomau, and I shall never forget my experiences 
with the frying-pan and soiled uumentionables. I wrestled 
long and ardently, but could never actpiire that peculiar and 
indescribable twist of the wrist which would enable me to flop 
and turn a griddle-cake without landing it in the ashes. I 
thought then and I promulgate it now, not in anger but with 
sorrow, that as a cook and washist I was not a success ! 

Those pioneer experiences in the culinary and washing line 
have imbued me with an almost sacrod reverence for cooks 
and washerwomen, including that copper-colored, pig-tailed, 
almond-eyed disciple of Confucius — 

" With ways that are dark, 
Aud tricks that are vain" — 

the Heathen Chinee ! 

In conclusion, Mr. President, let us — survivors of the old 
guard — the forlorn hope — assembled here to-night, " eat, drink 
and be merry," aud for the nonce forget our gray hairs and 
imagine ourselves young again I 

The theme of the next speaker was '* AVomau/' but his 
speech was mainly a philippic addressed to the gentleman, 
an invited gi(csf, who had precedeil him. His vaporing-s 
were allowed to pass unnoticed. 

Puring the banquet, Charles Mollenhauer's Orchestra 
discoursed excellent music, and between the toasts the 
Union Glee Club sang concerttxl pieces, including the 
*' iSoug of the Argonauts ; or, The Days of '10.'' Professor 



SOJTG BY rilOF. LOMBAED. 437 

Lombard sang the bass solo of " The Pyino; Trooper," 
witli tolling effect. The wine and cigars fnrnished lor the 
occasion were of California manufacture. The entertain- 
ment broke up at a late Lour, and, taken all iu all, was au 
enjoyable affair. 



25 



CELEBRATION OF «AD:NnSSTOX PAY" AT 
LOXG BrvAXClI, X. J. 



Prosrrammo of exercise? — Pioneers present — The Banquet — Gen- 
eral Gibson's address of welcome — Introduction of General Sut- 
ter — Letters of regret — Mayor McKune's address — General Sut- 
ter's response — Poem — " The Land "NVe Adore " — Barard Taylor 
speaks a piece — "Song of the Argonauts" — Hop in the evening 
in honor of General Sutter — Telegram sent to California— The 
reply. 

The Twonty-seventh Annivei*sary of the Admission of 
California into the Union, was celebi-ated bv the Argonauts 
of 'Forty-nine, under the auspiees of '^ The Associated 
Pioneers of the Territorial Days of California," 
at the Ocean Hotel, Long Branch, X. J., on Saturday, 
September Sth, 1S77. The day was rainy and windy, but 
the hardy Pioneers who had braved dangers by " flood and 
field'' in the days of '49, turned out in goodly numbers — 
nearly two hundred strong — some of them accompanied 
by their wives. Among the ladies present, were Miss 
Sutter, daughter of the American consul ar Arapulco, 
^fexico, and granddaughter of General John A. Sutter* 
Mi's. Francis D. Clark, Mi-s. Prentice Mulford and Mrs. 
S. C. Upham. Tiie following committees Avere composed 
of gentlemen belonging to " The Associated Pioneers of 
the Terrifcrial Dai/s of California" whose head-quarters 
are in Xew York : 

(438) 



September 9th, 

1850. 



COMMITTEES. 




439 

September 9th, 

1877. 



committee of arrangements. 
Gest. Thos. D. Johns, 



Com. C. K. Garrison, 
Gen. Joseph Hooker, U. S. A., 
Com'r R. W. Meade, U. S. N., 
Gen. James F. Curtis, 
Hon. Jeremiah Sherwood, 



Coii. E. F. Burton, 
Charles R. TnoMrsoN, 
S. L. Merchant, 
John J. IIager, 
John Gault. 



George Howes, 
E. "W. Croweix, 
Hon. D. M. Chauncey, 



COMMITTEE ON INVITATION. 

John Sickels, Vice-President. 

Hon. Demas Strong, 
Wm. M. Walton, 



John S. Ellis. 



RECEPTION COJIMITTEE. 



Hon. R. M. Price, 
CiiAs. W. Schumann, 
C. Lydecker, 



Hon. R. H. McKune, 



Francis D, Clark, 
Secretary and Treasurer. 



John G. Hodge, 
E. R. Anthony, 

A. T. GOODELL. 

H. G. Gibson, 

Brevet Brig.-Gen. U. S. A., 
President. 



The following programme of the exercises was carried 
out as amiouuced : 



440 OKDER OF CEREMONIES. 

RE-UNION OF CALIFORNIANS, 

Under the Auspices of the 

Associated Pioneers of tlie Territorial Days of California, 

(HEAD-QUARTERS IN NEW YORK CITY,) 

AT THE 

Ocean Hotel, Long Branch, N. J. 
On Saturday, September 8th, 1877, 

J-L.T 2.30 O'CLOCTC, I=. I>I. 
(Twenty-seventh Anniversary of the Admission of California into the Uniorii) 



Programme of Exercises, 

In connection with the Dinner. 

1. ADDRESS, hy General 11. O. Gibson, U. S. A., 

President of the Associated Pioneers. 

2. MUSIC—" Star Spangled Banner." 

3. ANNOUNCEMENT OF LETTERS, 6y the Secretary of the Society. 

4. MUSIC— " Golden Gate Quickstep." 

6. INTRODUCTION OF GEN. JOHN A. SUTTER, by Gen. H. 
G. Gibson. 

6. WELCOME, to Gen. John A. Sutter, Pioneer of 1838, 

by Hon. E. II. McKune, Mayor of Scranton, Pa. 

7. MUSIC—" Hail to the Chief." 

8. POEM—" The Land We Adore," 

Composed (expressly for this occasion,) and read by the author, 
Samuel C. Upham, Esq., a '•49er." 

9. MUSIC—" Bonanza March." 

10. A FEW REMARKS, by Col. E. F. Burton, a " Veteran" Pioneer. 

11. " SONG OF THE ARGONAUTS ; OR, DAYS OF '49 " 

Composed by S. C. Upiiam, Esq., of Philadelphia; and sung by W.M. 
J. Hill, Esq. The audience will please join in the chorus. 

12. MUSIC. — "Traumeres," — Schumann. 



Orchestra under the Direction of Mr. Charles Mollenhauer. 



4^ The Complimentary Hop tendered by Messrs. Charles and Waurkn 

Lelan'D, Jr., in honor of Gen. Joiix A. Sutter, will take 

place at 9 r. M. 



THE DINNER. 441 

Conspicuous among the " Old Boys " was General John 
A. Sutter, the veteran Pioneer, aged seventy-five years, 
but who looked as hale and hearty as many of his com- 
rades a score of years younger. The morning was spent in 
conversation, in the parlors, and at half-past two o'clock, 
P. M., the Pioneers and their guests sat down to a sump- 
tuous dinner. General H. G. Gibson, President of the 
Associated Pioneers, occupied the central seat, and behind 
him, on the wall, hung the " Old Bear Flag." On either 
side of the flag were placards bearing the names of places 
and events famous in the early history of California, By 
the side of General Gibson sat General Sutter, and at his 
side M'as seated Bayard Taylor. Near by was Hon. R. H. 
McKune, Mayor of Scranton, Pa., just recovering from 
wounds received at the hands of the railroad rioters, be- 
cause he knew his duty, and d:ired to do it, despite mob 
violence. There were also present ex-Governor Podman 
M. Price, of New Jersey, who assisted in raising the first 
American flag in California, at Monterey, on July 7th, 
1846; ex-Mayor Vance, of New York; Hon. Demas 
Strong, President of the first Common Council of Sacra- 
mento City, in 1850 ; General Tliomas D. Johns, E. W. 
Crowd 1, Colonel Fritz, General McComb, Colonel T. B. 
Thorpe, A. T. Goodell, General James F. Curtis, Com- 
mander R. W. Meade, U. S. N., John Gault, Dr. Thos. 
A. Bailey, Chas. R. Thompson, Chas. AY. Schumann, John 
G. Hodge, Colonel A. C. Ferris, who, in 1849, took the 
first party, two hundred men, by way of Vera Cruz, to 
San Bias, and thence to San Francisco, arriving on the 
14th of May, ahead of all the parties that rounded Cape 
Horn or went overland ; Colonel John Sickels, J. H. But- 
ler, H. K. Cummings, J. C. Curry, J. J. JNIcCloskey, the 
California actor of '49 ; Francis D. Clark, Colonel Jos. E. 
Lawrence and S. C. Upham, early newspaper men of Sac- 
ramento City, and Prentice INIulford, fi)rmerly of the Over^ 
land Monthly. After the dinner had been discussed, order 



442 GENERAL GIBSON's ADDRESS. 

was called by General Gibson, who delivered the following 
eloquent address of welcome to the Society and to General 
Sutter : 

Fellow-Pioneers, Ladies and Gentlemen : — In accord- 
ance with a custom, long observed by the i^ureut Societies of 
the Pacific Coast, " The Associated Pioneers of the Ter- 
ritorial Days of California," residing in the East, have 
assembled here to-day to celebrate the anniversary of the ad- 
mission of California into the American Confederation of States. 
Twenty-seven years ago " the morrow morn," after a long and 
bitter political contest in the halls of Congress, the State which 
the Pioneers of California had founded and organized became 
" a bright particular star " — wedded to the Union. The Treaty 
of Guadalupe Hidalgo, terminating the war with INIexico, had 
extended our dominion on the remote Pacific over a vast 
region, to the south of 

" the continuous woods 
Where rolls the Oregon and hears no sound 
Save its own dashings" — 

to US and the world at large a terra incognita. Beyond a nar- 
row fringe of settlements — missions and presidios — on its line 
of coast from Cape Mendocino to Cape San Lucas, but little 
was known of the geography, character and resources of the 
territory of the Californias. To the commerce of the world, it 
was but a land of hides and tallow. The expeditions of the 
renowned Pioneer and Path-finder, John C. Fremont, oponed 
to our people and to the world, a knowledge of its beauty, fer- 
tility and wealth. Though the mighty river, rising in the great 
Cordillerean chain, and cleaving, in its course to the ocean, the 
majestic Sierras that shut out California from the rest of the 
continent, and which the explorer's glowing fancy fondly pic- 
tured as freighted in the future with the argosies of a rich 
commerce — was never found; yet from the sumniit of the 
Sierras, the proud Pioneer gazed ujion a region which, although 
in its native primeval wildness, gave a glorious promise of 
future opulence and greatness. Distance had not lent en- 
chantment to the view, for on nearer approach it was found to 
be a land of wondrous fertility and surpassing loveliness. 



GENERAL GIBSON 's ADDRESS. 443 

But, Pioneers, I will not detain you by dwelling upon the 
material and physical beauty of the land with its delightful 
clime, the charming pastoral life Avith its serene repose and 
quiet felicity, before the modern Sassenach came with grim- 
visaged war, or the modern Argonaut seeking the golden ore ; nor 
will I, in this greeting of mine, indulge in the rich-fraught retro- 
spect of the past, or upon the real presence of to-day, or the 
glowing visions of the future — of the magical changes wrought, 
of the brilliant, substantial results accomplished, through much 
tribulation, toil and suffering ; for you, who shared in the ex- 
citing scenes and trying incidents of early California days, know 
them well. In the bright glow of memory's light, you can look 
back and proudly say : " Out of the rocks of California %ve 
carved and shaped a noble State, beautiful in its every aspect of 
nature, rich in every product of art and culture, grand in its 
origin, grander in its career, grandest in the golden virtues of 
its people." 

Impressed with all this, I bid you a cordial, gladsome wel- 
come here to-day, and with the cherished memories of " auld 
lang syne," of "the joys that we've tasted," with the golden 
reminiscences of the fair Golden State, extend to each and all 
of you, the kindliest greeting of heart and hand. The mighty 
surf that rolls upon the grand old beach at our feet gives you 
a welcome, too, in its every tone, and sound, and roar, as it re- 
calls to mind the booming of a mightier surf of a grander 
ocean, that beats on the rock-bound coast of California, and 
pours its tides and billows through the f)ortals of the Golden 
Gate. As old ocean's spray mingles with the vintage in our 
cups that we drink to California ; as its sounds blend with the 
notes of softer music, it Avelcomcs you in the name of its sister 
ocean; and we need not ask, like little Paul Dombey, "what 
are the wild waves saying?" for they speak to us of joys and 
trials, dangers and delights, in the far-off Golden Laud we love 
so well. 

Ladies, I bid you welcome, welcome, too. Feeble though be 
the expression, I trust you will not find it lacking in that sweet 
courtesy, which " it is very meet, right, and our bounden duty " 
to render to the fairer, gentler portion of humanity. Though 



444 A TRIBUTE TO WOMAN. 

" bright eyes " may not " speak love to eyes -wliicli speak 
agaiu," still whilst "soft music rises "with a voluptuous swell" 
we may tell you " of the dangers we have passed," of the 
" most disastrous chances " of our California life — unshared, un- 
soothed by your sweet companionship, and some fair Desdc- 
mona may seriously incline to hear, to believe, to pity and to 
love. And we may tell you, too, on the faith of j" truthful 
journalists of the day, that, in California, " in the desert a 
fountain is springing," from the virtues of whose waters, 
beauty ever retains its freshness and bloom, youth its grace, 
comeliness and strength, and "let thy loveliness fade as it 
wHl," the 

" endearing young charms 
We gaze on so fondly to-day," 

will return with a brighter glow and sweeter attraction. 

"Tourney and joust that charmed the eye, 
And scarf and gorgeous panoply, 
And nodding plume" — 

have gone with the age and flower of chivalry. AYe no longer 
summon to the lists, or to the field of mortal combat, the rivals 
in our love ; yet in this sober, practical age, the smiles and 
favors of fair woman are as sweet, as precious, as dear to us ; 
we are as proud and ready to throw or accept the gauntlet in 
her cause, to make every sacrifice for our love, as 

"the gentle knights that came 
To kneel and breathe love's ardent flame 
Low at her feet." 

" The smiles from partial beauty won " — 

" to know there is an eye will mark 
Our coming, and grow brighter when we come ;" 

"dear woman's loving prattle," which "flows with sweet 
meanings for the heart alone" — are our proudest triumphs, 
our " empire of perfect bliss" in youth, our glory and delight 
in manhood, our joy and solace in declining years. Like the 
Pleiades that so " purely sparkle in Heaven," she " sheds her 



INTKODUCINa GENERAL SUTTEE. 445 

Bweet influence over the earth," and man, who lords it over all 
the rest of creation, yields at once to beauty's charms and 
woman's loving Aviles. The Paradise of Mahomet, with houris 
of exquisite form and feature, was but an unrefined expression 
of the power and influence wielded by woman, and with our 
knowledge of their potency in this enlightened age, do we 
wonder at the brilliant success and rapid spread of the Moslem 
faith, in a darker era, when the enjoyment of woman's loving- 
ness and loveliness was the promised reward of every true 
believer, every faithful follower of the standard of the Prophet? 
And under the benign influence of a purer religion, we believe 
that those whose gentle hands and sweet, loving faces cheer 
and console us in this vale of tears, will be at our side in the 
realms of celestial light before the throne of God ; 

" For love is Heaven, and Heaven is love." 

In iutroducing General Sutter, General Gibson said : 

The patriarchs of Israel, when they assembled their kindred 
and people in the land, which the God of Abraham, Isaac and 
Jacob had given them to possess it ; the mighty conquerors of 
the world from Xenophon to Napoleon, when, at the momentous 
crisis of perilous conflict, there rallied around them the legions 
known " by the tried valor of their hands ;" the proud chief- 
tains of the Highlands, when they gathered their clans for 
counsel, battle, foray or raid, felt that exultant joy and grateful 
pride, which is inspired by the fealty and devotion of those 
bound to each other by the ties of blood, affection or associa- 
tion. The noble patriarch and world-famed Pioneer, at whose 
feet to-day we lay our tribute of love and honor, must be in- 
spired by the same proud and grateful feelings, when he looks 
around upon the faces of his clansmen and his children — the 
Pioneers of California. For no patriarch of Israel, no warrior 
of ancient or modern renown, no chieftain of Highland clan, 
ever found kith or kin, liege-vassal or soldier, clansman or 
servitor more loyal and true than those who bid him welcome 
here to-day ; than those who, on the distant Pacific recall with 



44G 



GENERAL GIBSON's SPEECH. 



US the deeds and virtues of that great heart, that not only gave 
the open sesame to the treasures of California, but out of the 
riches of its bounty fed tlie liungry, clothed the naked, relieved 
the distress of every wayworn traveler, every ^Yeary pilgrim of 
the plains. As the instrument under God of the discovery of 
gold, long lain hid in the recesses of California, and thus the 
conferrer of a glorious boon upon us, upon California, and upon 
our whole country, we do hina all-grateful honor ; as our grand 
old patriarch and noble chieftain, Ave pay hira leal and grateful 
reverence; but for his golden deeds of charity and rich benefi- 
cence, we give him a wealth of love and gratitude from our 
inmost hearts. To-day we look upon his kindly, noble face — 
the outward expression of a pure heart and a stainless life — 
and pray that God may bless him and give him length of days, 
"with peace and health, happiness and abundance. To Cali- 
fornians everywhere, his name is a household word ; and in 
after years, when our children's children shall gather by the 
winter's hearth, old gossips' tales shall tell of the noble 
deeds and golden virtues of John A. Sutter, the glorious Pio- 
neer ! The countryman of Tell ! The countryman of Wash- 
ington ! The beauty, purity and bravery of his life, the 
nobility of his nature, the kindliness of his heart, the generosity 
and benignity of his character, elevate him nigh unto their 
stature ; in all that ennobles man, the peer of the one, the peer 
of the other. 

The nation, through cold or thoughtless selfishness, or want 
of appreciation of his " life of honor and of Avortli," may 
deny him the just guerdon of his great services, but long ere 
the muffled drum within us shall beat its last tattoo, history 
and song shall recount the story of that life in choicest diction 
and glowing rhythm, and " on the painter's canvas shall grow 
his life of beauty." A life of virtue and of fame, worthy to 
be commemorated, not only in more modest bronze or marble, 
but in the richest metal from California's golden store. I say 
that history, song and art Avill yet redeem in part the shame 
and reproach of the Republic for its neglect of its great bene- 
factor, but with you 



The 



MAYOR McXUNE's WELCOME. 447 

"His signal deeds and virtues high 
Demands no pompous eulogy ; 

Ye saw his deeds! 
Why should their praise in verse be sung? 
The name that dwells on every tongue 
No minstrel needs." 



" Fresh laurel wreaths we bring to-day 
To crown the patriarch," 



may wither, but for a life well spent " there is laid up for him 
a crown of glory which fadeth not away.'' With all due honor 
to the other illustrious Pioneers of Christendom, I now intro- 
duce to you the noblest Roman of them all, our renowned 
patriarch and honored chieftain, General John A. Sutter. 
[Great applause.] 

Mayor McKune, of Scranton, then delivered the follow- 
ing address of welcome to General Sutter : 

General Sutter : — Having been selected by my associates 
to tender to you our hearty congratulations and join with you 
in earnest thanks to our Heavenly Father for His mercies who 
has protected you another year, and given you strength that 
has enabled you to join with us in celebrating the twenty- 
seventh anniversary of the admission of California to the 
Union of States, I am bidden by my associates to welcome 
you to our re-union, and to assure you that your presence fills 
our cup of gratification unto fullness, I have no language to 
express the pleasure your presence affords us. Your name, sir, 
is indissolubly joined to that of the Pioneer days of California. 
It was in the furtherance of your enterprises that the earth 
gave up her treasures, that had been hidden from the sight of 
man from creation. The development of those treasures 
changed the commerce of the world. The Golden Gate 
saluted, as they passed through, the ensigns of every maritime 
nation. In a word, " the world was turned upside down." 
But amid the disappointments and sufferings of hundreds of 
the pioneers and amid " man's inhumanity to man " there stood 



448 A WARM TRIBUTE TO GEN. SUTTER. 

out one name bright over all ; one heart that beat in pynipathy 
for the unfortunate ; one hand to relieve the distressed. That 
heart, that hand, dear General, -was yours, and your name is 
remembered ■with the warmest emotions of gratitude by hun- 
dreds -whom your princely generosity relieved in the hour of 
their distress. We remember with pleasure that every project 
for the advancement of the interests of California, found in 
you a hearty supj^orter. That amid the noble men who assem- 
bled at Monterey to form the first Constitution,, your name led 
all the rest. In the long years of your residence in California, 
there was no honorable citizen but felt himself honored to be 
called your friend. You have lived to see California pass from 
petty Mexican rule and occupy a high position amid its sister 
States. And though you and I, in our declining days, have 
found a home amid the hills and valleys of the Keystone 
State, yet, I doubt not that our hearts go out in unison this day 
in earnest desires for the future welfare of California. 

As I look around among my associates who are here to-day, 
I find the army and navy of our country avcII represented by 
associates whose names their country has placed high on the 
roll of fame. The civil professions and the various ranks of 
business here find worthy representatives. The incidents of 
our California days can never be effaced from our memories, 
and we beg to assure you that though the efforts we have 
hitherto made for an honorable settlement of your claims 
upon the general government have been unsuccessful, we 
hereby pledge ourselves, not only to use our individual, but to 
continue our united efforts until justice shall be done to you 
and yours. 

Trusting, sir, that this day's re-union may bring to you sweet 
and pleasant memories of the past, and bind us together in 
closer fellowship, and as the shades of night gather around 
your pathway, you will be cheered by the assurance that you 
leave behind those who will always cherish your name with 
the warmest aflfection of their whole nature. 

General Sutter arose in response to the hearty applause 
which followed Mayor McKuue's address, and with a sup- 



LETTER FROM JOAQUIX MILLER. 449 

pressed voice expressed his inability to respond adequately 
to the remarks which were so flattering to him, and which 
he so thoroughly appreciated. " It is not possible/' he 
said — but here words failed him, and he sat down, when 
the assembled Argonauts rose up as one man, and waving 
their glasses in the air, gave three cheers that utterly 
drowned the music of the band. 

Letters of regret were read by the Secretary, Mr. Francis 
D. Clark, from President Hayes, General Sherman, Gov- 
ernor Irwin, of California, Governor Robinson, General 
Hancock, Mayor Ely, Mr. Peter Dean, President of " The 
Society of California Pioneers," General F. J. Lippitt, 
General Joseph W. Revere, who, when a lieutenant in the 
navy, in 1846, raised the first American flag at Sonoma; 
Vice- Admiral S. C. Rowan and John W. Livingston, of 
the United States Navy, both of whom were lieutenants 
during the conquest of California, and served on that 
coast ; General Edward F. Beale, Gilmor Meredith and 
R. R. Griffith, Jr. The regrets of Joaquin Miller, Poet 
of the Sierras, were conveyed in the following character- 
istic letter and poem : 

General Gibson, Francis D. Clark, and others of 
THE Associated Pioneers of California : — I thauk you 
for your kind invitation to dinner at the gathering of your 
great and good brotherhood, but I am at Avork and cannot be 
with you. But do not imagine that I have forgotten you or 
the great gold shore by the vast west sea. A great land, a 
great people, and a great period in history — surely, they are 
worthy of all that can be said or sung, and my song is still of 
the Pacific : 

My brave world-builders of the West ! 

Why, who hath known ye ? Who shall know 

But I, who on thy peaks of snow 
Sang songs the first! I loved you best; 

I hold you still of more stern worth 

Than all proud peoples of the earth. 



450 



THE LAND WE ADOEE. 



Yea, I, the rliymer of wild rhymes, 
Indifferent of blame or praise, 
Still sing of you as one who plays 

The same wild air in all strange climes — 
The same wild, piercing, highland air, 
Because — because his heart is there. 



Joaquin Miller. 



New York, August dOth, 18 



( /. 



The following poem, written for the occasion, was then 
read by its author : 

THE LAND WE ADORE. 

BY SAMUEL C. UPHAM, A " 'fORTY-XIXER." 

Comrades and Brothers, we're assembled to-day. 
But not as plumed warriors in battle array — 
Assembled to honor the young Golden State, 
Whose birth and Avhose grandeur we now celebrate. 



The gleam of the camp-fires of emigrant trains, 
Is seldom now seen on the far-away plains, 
The screech of the engine, so loud and so shrill. 
Comes echoing back from each canon and hill. 
The grizzly starts up with a snort and a growl, 
The wolf and coyote chime in with a howl. 
The buflalo tosses the earth in the air, 
And the panther, aroused, springs up from his lair. 

The antelope leaps o'er the plain in affright. 
The prairie dog barks from morn until night, 
From his eyrie the eagle looks down in disdain, 
As the steam-whistle shrieks its startling refrain. 
Our camp-fires no longer ilhime the ravine. 
The Pan and the Eockcr are rarely now seen. 
Flap-jacks and frijoles, our diet of yore, 
Have flown like a vision to return nevermore. 



"the land we adoee." 451 

The Tom and the Sluice-box, once sparkling -with gold, 

No longer wash out the auriferous mould ; 

The Quartz Mill and Crusher have taken their place, 

And steam 's declared victor again in the race. 

Our cabins now roofless and gone to decay, 

Like their tenants of old, are passing away ; 

The grave on the hillside, with head-board decayed, 

Marks the spot where a comrade we long ago laid. 

O woman, dear woman ! pure as gold without dross. 

The first at the tomb and the last at the cross, 

Thy j)resence ne'er cheered us in camp nor in mine, 

In those long-ago days, the days of lang syne — 

"When the toils of the day had drawn to a close, 

And wrapped in our blankets in silent repose, 

Our thoughts wandered back to our sweethearts and wives. 

The loved ones for whom we had periled our lives. 

Famed Yerha Buena, old town by the sea. 
Demolished long since by fate's stern decree, 
Thy adobes all crumbled and razed to the ground, 
Not a trace of thy walls is now to be found ; 
On thy site has been builded the Queen of the West, 
Close by the portals, by the Golden Gate's crest, 
"Where church dome and steeple point up to the sky. 
And the Stars and the Stripes wave proudly on high. 

Thy city and harbor, proud golden-gemmed Queen, 
Are rivalled by none the world has e'er seen ; 
Thy merchants and bankers, like Croesus of old, 
Have locked in their coffers their millions untold. 
The school-house and college, like beacon-lights, stand 
In vale and on hill-top, the pride of thy land ; 
Still, we in thy closet two skeletons see — ■ 
The vagabond " Hoodlum " and " Heathen Chinee." 

Hamlets like magic to large cities have grown. 
The ranchero has reaped the grain he has sown, 



452 "the land we adoke." 

The viue aud the fig-tree arc laden with fruit, 
And the breezes blow soft as the tones of the lute ; 
The orange-tree blossoms aud fruits in the vale, 
The date aud iDoniegranatc, 'mid sand and the shale, 
The filbert and almond, and manna of yore, 
All abound in the land that we love and adore. 

The Sequoias gigantea, when the earth was quite young, 
And birds in fair Eden their sweet music sung, 
Then upward were towering in days far remote, 
As the rings 'round their trunks unerringly note. 
For thousands of years, as firmly as rocks. 
These giants have braved the hurricanes' shocks — 
Are older than Noah, the man without guile. 
Older than Cheops in the vale of the Nile. 

The Ship of the Desert,* long buried from view, 
Once manned by Arch Masons — King Solomon's crew — 
She sailed from the East bound for Ophir's gold shore. 
But, shipwrecked and stranded, returned nevermore ; 
Her hull lies imbedded on the alkali plain. 
And the desert simoon ever sings her refrain. 
Sings the dirge of the sailors, those Masons of old, 
"Who never returned with their cargo of gold. 

Fond recollections of the long-ago times. 

Come echoing back like the music of chimes ; 

The Tuolumne rolls on as in ages of yore. 

The Stanislaus laves its auriferous shore, 

The Bear aud the Yuba flow down to the sea. 

Bright flowers are still blooming, and green is each tree ; 

The Sierras tower up in their helmets of snow. 

And the Avild rose and tule still wave to and fro ; 

Diablo, proud monarch, all grizzled and gray. 

Looms up in the distance his realm to survey. 

* Some four or five years ago, the decayed hull of a ship was found 
imbedded in tiie sand of the great Western Desert. Wlieu aud from 
what port did she sail, and to what nation did she belong ? 



BAYAED TAYLOR SPEAKS. 453 

But where are our comrades of long-ago days ? 

Some, grouped around me, crowned with laurels and bays,* 

Others are present, with locks frosted by age, 

"Whose names add new lustre to history's page ;f 

And Stevenson's veteraus| are with us to-day. 

Erst from Sonoma, La Paz and old Monterey — 

Heroes, who helped add to the red, white and blue, 

A bright golden star, ever loyal and true. 

Others lie mouldering on the plains of the "West, 

Their spirits have soared to the land of the blest, 

Where soon we shall meet on that far-away shore. 

Shall meet, and shall greet, and shall part nevermore. 

At the conclusion of the poem, Mr. J. Berry, a "48er/' 
delivered a humorous speech, which was frequently ap- 
plauded. 

Mr. Bayard Taylor, the next speaker, said he did not 
believe there was anything more w-onderful in the march 
of Godfrey to Jerusalem than in the early argosy to Cali- 
fornia. It was a democracy of law and order, sustained 
merely by human nature. He had a kind of pity for 
those who did not have the pioneer's experience, and he 
recalled the time wdien he first saw San Francisco, in 1849, 
when there were more vessels in the harbor than canvas 
houses on the land ; wdien Fremont was living there in a 
hut, and when the speaker had slept several nights under 
the same blanket with the Duke of Sonora. When he 
last saw General Sutter he was in Monterey, in 1849, after 
the Constitution had been adopted. There was a dance 

* Generals Joe Hooker, Winfield S. Hancock, Horatio G. Gibson, 
Silas Casey, Tiios. D. Johns, Francis J. Lippitt, Nelson Taylor and 
Colonel Geo. W. Patten, U. S. Army; Vice-Admiral S. C. Kowan and 
Commander li. W. Meade, U. S. Navy. 

f Generals .John A. Sutter and John C. Fremont ; Commodore C. K. 
Garrison, Hon. E. M. Price, Hon. E. H. McKune and General John S. 
Ellis. _ 

X Lieutenant Jeremiah Sherwood, Privates Francis D. Clark, Eussell 
Myers, Chas. J. McPherson, William C. Eogers, James Nuttman and 
Squire G. Merrill. 
26 



454 THE GRAND HOP. 

given in honor of the occasion, and as there Avere but 
eleven ladies to one hunch-ed and twenty gentlemen, he 
had taken General Sutter for his lady, and been whirled 
about until he was breathless. He said that things had 
all changed since in California, that money was now 
sought for itself alone, and the miner no longer quoted 
Horace in the original and read Emerson in his tent. 

After tlie singing, by Mr. Wm. J. Hill, of the "Song ojthe 
Argonauts; or, the Days of ' Forty-nirie/' written by Mr. 
S. C. Upham, in the chorus of which the entire company 
joined ; the reading of a resolution indorsing The 
Pioneer, a paper published at San Jose, Cal., and adopting 
it as the organ of the Society, the party broke up until 
evening. 

At nine o'clock, P. M., the company gathered again in the 
large parlor of the hotel, and joined in a complimentary 
hop tendered to General Sutter, by Messrs. Charles and 
Warren Leland, Jr. The walls of the ball-room were deco- 
rated with banners bearing brief sentences in illuminated 
letters, recalling events and persons familiar to all the 
pioneers of California. The tripping of the " light fan- 
tastic toe" was kept up until a late hour. Everything 
passed off pleasantly, and the joyous event, with its pleas- 
ing associations, wall never be forgotten by the participants. 

Before the commencement of the exercises of the day, 
the following greeting was telegraphed to the Pioneers of 
the Pacific slope : 

Long Branch, N. J., September 8th, 1877. 

To THE California Pioneers, assembled at San Jose, 
California : 

To our friends in Eureka, the old Pioneers, 
We send kindly greetings and three hearty cheers, 
Three cheers and a tiger for the young Golden State, 
Whose birth and whose grandeur we to-day celebrate. 



GREETINGS BY TELEGRAPH. 455 

General John A. Sutter, standing on the Atlantic beach, 
surrounded by his associates of early days, sends his greet- 
ings. God bless you all. 

Francis D. Clark, 

Sec'y Associated Pioneers. 

The following response was received late in the after- 
noon : 

San Jose, Cal., September 8th, 1877. 
Francis D. Clark, Long Branch, N. J. — " The Society of 
California Pioneers," and the " Santa Clara County Pioneers," 
greet their brothers of the Atlantic shore. May your lives be 
prolonged and prosperity ever yours. 

A. C. Bradford, 

Sec^y California Pioneers. 
Alex. P. Murgotten, 

Seo'y Santa Clara Co. Pioneers. 



THIRD AXXUAL EE-UXIOX AXD BAXQUET 
OF " THE ASSOCIATED TIOXEERS OF THE 
TERRITORIAL DAYS OF CALIFORNIA." 



Secretary and Treasurer Clark's report — President Gibson's annual 
address — Election of officers for the current year — The banquet — 
Programme of exercises — General II. G. Gibson's address of -wel- 
come — Letters of regret — Prentice ^lulford's address — Speeches 
by Judge Pratt, Colonel T. B. Thorpe. Colonel Edward F. Burton, 
Clark Bell, J. J. McCloskey, Colonel Joe Lawrence, Hon. Pemas 
Strong, Joseph S. Spinney, Francis D. Clark and General Thomas 
D. Johns — "Y* Ancient Yuba Miner" — Notables present — 
'• Song of the Argonauts " — Good-night. 

Ox Friday evening-, January ISth, 1878, "The Asso- 
ciated Pioneers of the Territorial Days of Cali- 
FOiiXiA," held their third annual re-uuiou and banquet, 
at the Sturtevant House, Xew York City, being the thir- 
tieth anniversary of the discovery of gold at Sutter's saw- 
mill, at Coloma. Previous to the banquet, the annual 
meeting and election of officers took place, as follows : 

President Gibson called the meeting to order, and Secre- 
tary Clark read the minutes of the annual meeting, fol- 
lowing which the Secretary presented and read his report 
for the year ending that date, as also a review of the pro- 
gress of the organization from the evening of its formation, 
February 11th, 1875, to date. Secretary Clai'k concluded 
Avith his report as Treasurer of the Society, the duties of 
which otiice had been performed by him in connection with 
those of Secretary. The minutes, reports and review were' 
approved. 

General Gibson presented and read his annual address, 

(45G) 



NEW MEMBERS. 457 

which, in addition to a history of the Society for the past 
year, contained many valuable suggestions. 
V General Johns moved that a committee of three be ap- 
pointed by the President, to whom the adc\ress of that 
officer, and the reports and the review of the Secretary 
should be referred, with directions to take into considera- 
tion the suggestions therein oifered, and report upon the 
same. 

The President named Messrs. C. Lydecker, G. F. Snif- 
fin and J. F. Curtis as said committee. 

Hon. Demas Strong addressed the Society upon its very 
flattering progress during the three years of its existence, 
and urged upon each member tlie duty of using his influ- 
ence to further its interests, and also paid a very high 
compliment to Secretary Clark for the zeal and energy 
displayed by that officer in promoting the welfare of the 
Society, and concluded by a motion that a committee of 
three be appointed by the President to prepare a suitable 
testimonial to be presented to Secretary Clark in recogni- 
tion of his past services and the appreciation in which he 
is held by his associates. 

The President named Hon. Demas Strong and Messrs. 
Joseph S. Spinney and W. M. Walton, as said committee. 

On motion of Mr. Spinney, the sum of $150 was placed 
in the hands of the Secretary to meet the expense of sta- 
tionery, printing and postage for the ensuing year. 

On motion of Colonel Edward F. Burton, a fine copy of 
the " Group of '49 members," recently prepared for the 
Society, handsomely framed, was presented to the Secretary, 
the expense thereof to be defrayed out of the treasury. 

The Secretary presented to the Society the names of 
General John C. Fremont, General Joseph W. Revere and 
Judge TJieron Per Lee, and on motion these gentlemen 
were duly elected members of the Society. General Pevere 
was the officer who hauled down the celebrated " Bear 
Flag " and hoisted the American flag in its stead at 



458 ELECTION OF OFFICERS. 

Sonoma, July, 1846 — and Judge Per Lee was a lieutenant 
in Stevenson's regiment ; the former resides at Morristown, 
New Jersey, the latter at Baltimore, Md. 

TheVicc-President presented some proposed amendments 
to the present "Articles of Association," as also several 
new articles, and the Secretary read eacli with care, and no 
objection being offered, Mr. James A. Spcrry moved their 
adoption, with the understanding that a committee should 
be appointed by the President further to examine the same 
and make such corrections as to the committee may seem 
proper, their action to be final. 

The President named General Thos. D. Johns, Messrs. 
J. A. Sperry and J. Gault said committee. 

Vice-President Sickels moved that the Society now pro- 
ceed with the election of officers, in accordance with the 
adopted amendment, which provides for the election of one 
President, ten Vice-Presidents, one Secretary, one Trea- 
surer and nine Trustees, which motion was adopted. 

General Gibson, the President of the Society, named 
General John A. Sutter, the venerable and esteemed pio- 
neer, as his successor, and upon a motion to that effect, the 
nominee was elected by acclamation. General Sutter was 
then conducted by General Gibson to the chair. General 
Sutter thanked his associates for the honor they had con- 
ferred upon him that evening, and wished he possessed the 
ability to fill the position as creditably as his predecessor. 
The election then proceeded, when the following gentlemen 
were chosen to the respective offices : 

Vice-Presidents — General H. G. Gibson, U. S. A. ; John 
Sickels, New York ; George Howes, New York ; Hon. Deraas 
Strong, Brooklyn, N. Y. ; J. J. Hager, Rhiuebeck, N. Y. ; 
Samuel C. Upham, Philadelphia, Pa. ; Gilmor Meredith, Bal- 
timore, Md. ; General E. F. Bcale, "Washington, D. C. ; Hon. 
R. H. McKune, Scranton, Pa. ; William M. Walton, Newark, 
N.J. 



PEOVISION FOE, LIBRARY. 459 

Secretary — Francis D. Clark. 

Treasurer — Hon, Jeremiah Sherwood. 

Trustees— General Thomas W. Sweeny, U. S. A. ; General 
Thos. D. Johns, Colonel E. F. Burton, Geo. F. Sniffin, E. K. 
Anthony, James A. Sperry, W. C. Annan, C. Lydecker and 
E. W. Crowell. 

Vice-President Gibson presented the name of Reuben 
Lord for election to honorary membership, as provided in 
the amendments adopted this evening. Vice-President 
Sickels presented the name of Effingham B. Sutton, of 
New York, and on motion of Colonel Burton, these gentle- 
men were duly elected. (Honorary membership is only 
conferred upon those who are not otherwise eligible, having 
never been residents of California, but who were identified 
with the commercial interests of California prior to the 9th 
of September, 1850.) 

Mr. Joseph Evans moved that the sum of ,f 100 be ap- 
propriated and placed in the hands of the Secretary, to 
enable that officer to secure, for the proposed library of the 
Society, such works on California as are becoming scarce, 
and apply to its early history and the first stages of the 
gold discoveries, said fund to be accounted for at the next 
annual meeting. Carried. 

General Johns moved that all expenditures made by the 
Treasurer during the past year in the interest of the So- 
ciety be approved. Adopted. 

Mr. Dowling moved that the meeting now adjourn, in 
order to attend the banquet, and that the President be 
requested to call a special meeting of the Society at the 
head-quarters, on Monday evening, Feb. 18th. Carried. 

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Pioneers, with their 
guests, proceeded to the spacious dining-room, which was 
profusely and tastefully embellished with the national col- 
ors and picturesque mottoes, recalling vividly to mind 
Pioneer life in California. A sketch of Sutter's saw-mill, 



4G0 THE BANQUET. 

copied from an old photograph, was drawn with Castile 
soap on a large mirror at the upper end of the hall. On 
another mirror was sketched, with the same material, a 
grizzly bear, with the years " 1848 " and " 1878 " on either 
side. 

The walls were embellished with placards bearing the 
following inscriptions : " The Flag-men of 1846 — Sloat, 
Stockton and Shubrick ;" " Stevenson's Regiment New York 
Volunteers, 1847 ;" " Gems of the Ocean — Ships Three 
Brothers and Young America, San Francisco;" "Sutter's 
Mill;" "September 9th, 1850;" "Marshall, January, 
18th,1848;" "Monterey, July 7th, 1840;" and "Sonoma." 
The table adornments included numerous designs, the most 
noticeable being a finely- executed hunting scene in a Cali- 
fornia canon. At the foot of the main table was a chair 
slightly elevated, on which was fastened a card with a deep 
black border, with the name, "Godpeey." On the 
seat of the chair was a beautiful floral monument. This 
was in memory of a deceased member of the Society, 
Colonel John A. Godfrey, who died March 2d, 1877. The 
chair occupied the position always taken by Colonel God- 
frey at the former banquets of the Society. 

The Pioneers and their guests numbered about one hun- 
dred, and as they filed into the dining-room they assembled 
around the tables, and remained standing while the quar- 
tette, under the direction of Mr. Gilbert, accompanied by 
the orchestra, sang, " Praise God from whom all blessings 
flow." General H. G. Gibson, U. S. A., senior Vice- 
President, presided, and at his side sat General John A. 
Sutter, President of the Society. The menu was worthy 
of the world-renowned name, " Leland," and upon this 
occasion the JNIessrs. LcmIs and George S. Leland, of the 
" Stuktevaxt," did full honor to the name, while the 
wines, which were of California vintage, in point of 
abundance and quality were unexceptionable. While the 
orchestra furnished choice and popular selections of music, 



THE PROGRAMME. 461 

the company proceeded to discuss the dinner, and in this 
agreeable duty fully two hours passed pleasantly away. 
In the meantime, the grizzled veterans were renewing ac- 
quaintances formed in the days of '49 and '50. At the 
conclusion of the dinner the " feast of reason and flow of 
soul " followed. The following programme was fully car- 
ried out : 

An Address of Welcome, by Vice-President General H. 
G. Gibson, U. S. A. 

The Announcement of Letters from Absentees, by the Sec- 
retary. 

Poem, " The Land We Adore," composed by Samuel C. 
Upham, Esq., a "49er," and read by Mr. J. Berry. 

A Few Remarks by Prentice Mulford, Esq., on " The 
Old Guard Pioneers of the Diggings." 

Song, " Y® Ancient Yuba INIiner of the Days of '49," com- 
posed, expressly for the occasion, by Mr. S. C. Upham, and 
sung by Wm. J. Hill, Esq. 

"Reminiscences of the Drama of '49," by Mr. J. J. 
McCloskey, a Pioneer Actor. 

Singing, by a Celebrated Quartette Club. 

Popular Selections by the Orchestra. 

General H. G, Gibson, the senior Vice-President, de- 
livered the address of welcome to his associates and guests 
in the following eloquent language: 

Fellow-Californians : — I bid you welcome again to- 
night on this anniversary of one of the most eventful discov- 
eries — alike advantageous and adventitious — in the history of 
a nation ; an occurrence fraught Avith blessings and benefits 
to our whole country, and most prolific in its results and 
effects ; for " Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have 
entered into the heart of man, the things Avhieh God hath 
prepared for them," in the inconceivable riches of the re- 



462 GENERAL GIBSON 's ADDKESS. 

sources ■\vhicli that discovery developed. Thirty years ago, on 
the patriarchal demesne of a Swiss emigre, whose name has 
since become world-famous, a little speck of shining metal was 
found, and, like " a great matter a little fire kiudlcth," a 
stream of gold and silver began thenceforth to enrich the 
earth ; succeeded by other "vvouders, scarcely less marvelous 
than those with which the fair Scheherezade beguiled her 
liege lord in the famed Arabian Nights. In the retrospect 
which each of us may take to-night, we behold a region superb 
in its physical features and attractions ; delectable in its genial 
climate, and where 

" with lavish kindness 

The gifts of God are strewn'' 

in broadcast profusion and ubiquitous richness, needing only 
the touch of an energetic race of men to " pluck the ripe fruit 
and gather in the hollow of the hand." Broad plains stretch- 
ing " many, many a league onward," the wcaltli of whose vir- 
gin soil was betokened by " the blackness of darkness " of 
l^urest loam ; watered by noble rivers to which golden streams, 
mountain torrent and gentle rivulet paid tribute ; picturesque 
valleys with graceful oaks in orchard regularity, and vast 
fields of indigenous grain — in winter of brightest green, in 
summer of dazzling gold : all hemmed in by mountain walls, 
whereon the lofty giants of the wood stood enthroned in ma- 
jesty and beauty. Along the coast, amid charming pastoral 
scenes and surroundings, the humble padres of the missions of 
the grand old church of God taught to the Indian and his 
dusky mate the faith of Christianity, and the rudest arts of 
civilized life. Cattle stood upon a thousand hills, and the 
noble horse, in all the peerless beauty and strength of un- 
restrained freedom, pawed the earth over leagues and leagues 
of golden pasture. Peace and plenteousness were in the 
homely adobe abodes of the occupants of the soil, and undis- 
turbed by the unknown pleasures and splendors of a higher 
civilization, a pastoral race, >vith their flocks and herds, en- 
joyed a life of calm repose and happy contentment : 



GENERAL Gibson's addeess. 463 

" Along the cool sequestered vale of life, 

They kept the noiseless tenor of their way." 

On slope and plain, the grape clusters, brilliant in bloom and 
luscious in flavor, gladdened the heart of man and filled the 
air with fragrance ; the olive, in " its glossy bower of coolest 
foliage," mellowed its grateful fruit, beneath the bright sunlit 
or soft cloud-dimmed sky ; and flowers, too, of exquisite hues 
and manifold variety, 

" Everywhere about us are they glowing, 
Some, like stars, to tell us spring is born ; 
Others, their blue eyes with tears are flowing, 
Stand, like Kuth, amid the golden corn," 

The antelope, the deer and the elk browsed upon the luxuriant 
herbage of forest and field ; the grizzly, the lion and the coyote 
roamed through brake, and jungle, and chaparral; and the 
hunter, the trapper and the aborigine found their Elysium in 
its secluded wilds. 

With the war with Mexico, and the alluring discovery 
which made us Pioneers and Pilgrims of the Golden Land, a 
wonderful, material change was inaugurated; a revolution 
wrought in the character, habits and pursuits of the gentes of 
the Californias, whether " native and to the manor born," or los 
gringos from other climes. " People of every nation, kindred 
and tongue " flocked to the golden shores, and the serene peace 
and pastoral beauty of the land was transformed to a scene of 
bustle, excitement, active life and industry. To the wondering 
eyes of the eager throngs, that gathered in her generous placers, 
California, her ample stores, 

" Eich with the spoils of Time, did there unroll ;" 

and the voice of the miner, as he smote the earth and rock 
with pick and drill, was heard in the land: "Eureka, aye, 
gold ! glittering gold !" Beneath genial skies, and with light- 
some toil, on the fallow of ages, 

" Hillside, ravine and tide marsh 
Soon blossomed as the rose," 



4G4 LETTEES OF EEGRET. 

and tlie liusbandmcii, oft " rcai:)iug where tliey had not sown," 
in the assurance of a rich harvest, 

" How jocund did they drive their team a-field! 

How bowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke !" 

The scant coffers of tlie world soon shone with the splendor 
and abundance of the precious ore from California's grand 
treasure-house; and out of her horn of plenty she yet pours 
her measures of corn, and wine, and oil, of wool and flax, of 
rarest gems and richest metals, without stint, without abate- 
ment. But, to rehearse the grand progress of our country, due 
directly or indirectly to the effect of the golden discovery, to 
rejoice over which I welcome you here to-night, and greet you 
in the olden California spirit, time will not allow. Suffice it 
to say, that the results of the influence of the riches of her 
bounty are to be seen, in the wonderful impetus given to every 
industry ; in the solid and brilliant achievements or finer pro- 
ducts of plough, anvil and loom, of forest and mine ; in the 
iron bands of commerce, binding the continent together ; in the 
marvelous feat of the modern Ajax, defying and controlling 
the lightning, and saying, like Puck, " I'll put a girdle round 
about the earth in forty minutes ;" in " cities j^roud, with 
spires and turrets crowned," rising in the wilderness as if by 
magic ; in States, " clothed and in their right minds," coming 
forth out of the gloom of mountain and desert with " glad re- 
joicings and grateful jiraise" — "and all men did marvel!" 
For, with " the victories of Peace no less renowned than War," 
the genius of California has added a brighter lustre to the 
resplendent arms of the E.ej)ublic ; with new jewels set in its 
proud diadem, new stars in the brilliant firmament of its 
Union ; in the radiant folds of " its glorious ensign, as it floats 
over the sea and over the land." [Great applause.] 

At the conclusion of General Gibson's address, the Secre- 
tary, Mr. Francis D. Clark, arose and announced the receipt 
of letters of regret from General William T. Sherman, U. 
S. A., General Joe Hooker, U. S. A., General Francis J. 
Li2:)pitt, General Joseph INI. Revere, Bayard Taylor, ]\lark 



"the land we adoee." 465 

Twain, ex-Governor Pacheco, Senator A. A. Sargent and 
Hon, Peter Dean, President of the "Society of California 
Pioneers," at San Francisco. The Secretary also an- 
nounced that associates Plon. J. Sherwood, J. J. Ilager 
and E. C. Kemble, were prevented from being present in 
consequence of recent family afflictions. 

The President then called upon ]\Ir. J. Berry, the elocu- 
tionist, who responded to the call and recited, with feeling 
and emphasis, the poem written by ]\Ir. Samuel C. Upham, 
entitled, "The Land We Adore." This recitation 
elicited rounds of applause, and cries of " Upham I Up- 
ham !" brought that gentleman to his feet, who, in a few 
appropriate words, thanked his associates for their approval 
of his humble efforts to do justice to California. He said 
lie had been so ably represented by proxy, that he feared 
anything he might say would fall upon their ears as " stale, 
flat and unprofitable." Nevertheless, if the poem, so elo- 
quently recited by Mr. Berry, had in any way added to 
their enjoyment he should consider himself amply repaid 
for the time spent upon its composition. 

The next gentleman called upon was INIr, Prentice Mul- 
ford, the California humorist, who spoke as follows about 
the " Old Guaed Pioneers of the Diggings :" 

Me. President : — An idea largely prevails among the gen- 
eration born since the American occupation of California, that 
the pioneer element of the State was in character rude and 
uncultured. It is an idea which has been largely owing to the 
delineations of character given in California literature, so that 
the Eastern j)ublic will accept none other representative for 
the Pioneer, save the man in overalls and red shirt, knife and 
j)istol at the belt, who uttered an oath at every other word and 
whose regular beverage was Avhisky. Yet this type was the 
exception in 1849. The element which rushed into the Terri- 
tory on the announcement of the discovery of gold, embraced 
the pick of the energy, enterprise, education and refinement, 
not only of the Eastern States, but of Europe. It brought 



4G6 ADDRESS OF PEENTICE MULFOED. 

^vitll it the eloquence of a Baker ; it called at an early period 
for the brilliancy of a Starr King. Grant was a pioneer, 
Sherman Avas a pioneer, and it is not impossible but that the 
peculiar conditions of their California experience had much to 
do in developing the tenacity and firmness of the one, and that 
conciseness and directness of aim and action, the distinguish- 
ing characteristic of the other. Out of this pioneer element 
grew a new school of literature, the chief exponents of which 
are a Phoenix, a Bret Harte, a IMark Twain, a Joaquin Miller 
[and a Prentice Mulford]. And its energy and enterprise, 
starting from a small inland city as a base, sent a thousand miles 
of railroad over waste, mountain and desert, then as danger- 
ous and quite as unknown as the interior of Africa. 

I desire, however, to say a word in remembrance of another 
and less known class of pioneers. I mean the men who went 
to California in '49, who never came back, who never made 
their fortunes, or who, if they did make them never kept them, 
and who never will come back. I mean the Old Guard of 
Pioneers still left in the " Diggiu's." Travel through the 
mines to-day and you will find it a country full of deserted 
villages. Even the mountain roads and trails over which they 
once packed their pork and flour, tobacco and whisky, from 
store to camp, are now fading out and overgrown with chap- 
arral. Even the deer and grizzly have in places resumed 
their old haunts from which they were driven by the gold- 
seekers' invasion. Travel along those rivers, now deserted, and 
you will come here and there on lone, blackened chimneys — 
all that remains of the pioneer's cabin : those chimneys about 
which the " boys," full then of life, hope and energy, would 
cluster in the rainy winter evenings and talk of their far-away 
Eastern homes. But their fires were long since burned to 
ashes, and the brilliant anticipations of that time are ashes 
also. It is in some nook of the foot-hills, perhaps the only 
cabin and the last man in the camp, that you find the 2'>ionccr 
to-day. His coffee-mill is still nailed to the trunk of the over- 
shadowing tree by his door ; his clothes-line is still stretched, 
and on it flutters his bachelor's Avashing ; his little garden-patch 
is fenced with old sluice lumber ; lie keeps a cat, a dog ; he 



THE OLD GUARD. 467 

sits at eveuing in his cabin-door, old, gray, grizzled, smoking 
his pipe and thinking of home — the home of thirty years ago, 
peopled in memory with faces fresh and blooming, now with- 
ered and wrinkled or long since laid in the dust. 

These were the men who cooked their own meals, washed 
their own shirts and mended their own pants — with flour-sacks, 
the brand on the outside, so that often on passing the honest 
miner, did you turn your head, you might see prominently 
graven upon him the words : " Warranted 200 pounds Self- 
rising Genesee Flour." Such men as Justice Barry, the first 
Alcalde of Sonora, Tuolumne County, who, when once on the 
bench, was reproached by Lawyer Q.uint with the charge that 
he (Lawyer Q.) never could get justice in his (Judge Barry's) 
court, was told by Judge Barry that he (Barry) never intended 
that Lawyer Quint should get justice in his court. And my 
friend Shanks, of Ked JNIountain, still alive, not thoroughly 
sober since 1852, and never attired otherwise than in a gray 
shirt and duck pants, rope-yarned about the waist, who, when 
one evening at the bar-stove the conversation had taken a 
theological turn, assured his hearers that the New Testament 
seemed clear enough until he reached the book of Revelations. 
"John Second," he remarked, "had snakes when he wrote 
that book. And as for the beast of ten horns — can't scare me 
with that ; been on the most familiar terms with him for the 
last ten years." 

I don't claim for my Argonauts and the Old Pioneer Guard 
lingering in the foot-hills, that they came to California insti- 
gated by high and holy motives. They came to get gold, to 
get all they could, to get it as quickly as they could, and to get 
away with it as quickly as possible. But thirty years have 
passed away. Still they linger. Their friends and relatives 
in their native Eastern towns have quite forgotten them. The 
friends of former and more stirring days in California have 
departed. They have contracted none of those softer tics which 
make life happier. They are indeed alone. The country has, 
as it were, slipped away from beneath them. 

A few years ago I made a pilgrimage to the old familiar 
ground on the Tuolunme. I found living between Jackson- 



4G8 "all honor to the miner." 

villc and Don Pedro's Bar, a strctcli of 10 or 12 miles, about 
six ^vhitc men. I found at Ilawkiu's Bar, ouce iuiml)cring 
near a thousand voters, one solitary miner still delvin;^ away 
at the same bank he Avorked in '50, and this man — the last 

man of the camp — his name "was Smith ! The camp had 

dwindled from hundreds of houses and cabins to fifty ; from 
fifty to ten, and then the river had rolled down a tremendous 
freshet, covering half the bar with a dcjxjsit of alluvium three 
feet in depth ; on this the quickly-spriugiug vegetation had 
taken root, and the camp site was a jungle of chaparral. 
Forty yards behind the last juoneer's cabin was a little in- 
closurc — llie camp graveyard. The fence was tumbling down. 
The wooden head-boards lying prone to eai'th, the inscriptions 
placed thereon by kindly yet stranger's hands quite erased by 
time and the weather. One familiar sound was still heard — 
the roar of. the Tuolumne over rapid and riffle below, roaring 
as it roared in the ears of those sleeping hero when, for the first 
time from the summit of you high red hill, blanket and pick 
on their shoulders, they caught their first glimpse of the long, 
Avinding, sun-glittering line of the river at their feet, while a 
thousand busy, excited men toiled along the banks, and the 
rattle of the gravel shaken in hundreds of rocker sieves sounded 
like the crash and din of a cotton-mill. 

So it roared and murmured and seemed ever in their ears 
babbling some weird, monotonous story, as they lay sick and 
dying in their rude miner's bunks — still on and on it roars, 
babbles and sings an eternal requiem for the forgotten, name- 
less pioneers who sleep here, while still in some far-away home, 
wife, mother, sister, brother, friend, wait and weep and long 
for him in vain. 

At the conclusiou of Mr. Mulford's address, which was 
greeted wath rounds of applause, the quartette sang " All 
Honor to the INIiuer." (Jcneral Gibson said that tliey liad 
with them a distinguislied citizen of Brooklyn, mIio luul 
been elected and re-elected to the Supreme Bench by the 
unanimous vote of the people He had known Judge 
Pratt in the field, and he Mas a distinguished soldier, 



JUDGE pratt's speech. 469 

lawyer and jurist. It gave liim great pleasure to intro- 
duce him. [Applause.] 

Judge Pratt, when the applause had subsided, spoke as 
follows : 

I assure you that I had not the least idea that I should be 
called uj)on to make a speech, and I now feel very much as 
that young man in Brooklyn felt when he was informed that he 
would have to ride to the funeral of his mother-in-law in the 
same carriage with his wife. He replied : " I suppose I will 
have to do it, but it robs this occasion of all pleasure for me." 
[Laughter.] I can recollect the day Avhen, if a California 
judge went to England, and was introduced to a gentleman, 
the latter always responded : " How do you do, Mr. Lynch?" 
[Applause and laughter.] Now, of course, it is not expected, 
that upon such a sudden call as this, I should be able to say much 
in favor of Brooklyn. Still, I can assure you that it is a city 
of some importance. We have the greatest park, the greatest 
bridge, we have had the greatest fire and the longest trial, at 
which my friend, Judge Neilson, presided. I presume he has 
left us for fear that he Avould be called upon to describe that 
trial. There is another thing about Brooklyn that will, no 
doubt, please a great many gentlemen here. In a large por- 
tion of it, the Heights — the best poilion of it in my estimation 
— they have abolished hell. There is another thing about 
Brooklyn, and some gentlemen here may vouch for what I say, 
it is a place where there is more virtue and more honest office- 
holders than any other j)lace in the world. [Laughter.] In 
proof of that, I refer to my friend, Mr. Strong, Now, gentle- 
men, permit me to say something about California. It was not 
my j)lcasure to go to that country. I was not blessed with a 
sight of it, but I regard the settlement of it, in its influence upon 
this country, in regard to the enterprise, hosj^itality and honesty 
of its j^eople, of the greatest importance and benefit. It was a 
place where people could go to sleep at night and never fasten 
their doors, and where, if a stranger arrived at night the doors 
were thx'own open to him and the best the house afforded set 
27 



470 TiiH "king's orphans." 

before him. That, it strikes me, was ouc of the greatest coun- 
tries uuder the suu. [Applause.] 

Colonel T. B. Thorpe, a veteran of the Mexican war, 
and formerly on the stuff of General Zachary Taylor, was 
introduced by the Prcsitlent and received with tumultuous 
applause. Colonel Thorpe stated that w'hile employed as a 
journalist in New Orleans, several years before the discov- 
ery of gold at Sutter's Mill, a Swede, evidently far gone in 
consumption, called on him, representing that he was, in his 
own country, one of the " King's Orphans ;"* that is, he 
had been educated at a government institution, one of the 
requirements of which was, that the pupil, after receiving 
a certain amount of schooling, should travel in foreign 
lands, record all he saw, put it in his manuscript, and on 
his return deposit it in the archives of the institution. In 
pursuance of this regulation, the Swede had visited Califor- 
nia while under Mexican rule. He remained for several 
days at Sutter's Fort, enjoying the well-known hospitality 
of General Sutter. While there he had made a close ex- 
amination of the surrounding country, the result of >vhich 
was a conviction on his part that it abounded richly in 
gold. This opinion he had delivered in WTiting to Colonel 
Thorpe, who still retained the manuscript, and avowed his 
intention of depositing it in the archives of " The Asso- 
ciated Pioneers of the Territorial Days of California." 

Before concluding his remarks, Colonel Thorpe called 
upon General Sutter to ascertain whether any memory of 
the Swede's visit remained with him. 

General Sutter arose and said he did recollect the visit of 
the Swede, which occurred about thirty-four years ago; 
that he remembered, on his part, the expression of such 
opinion regarding the presence of mineral wealth in the 
neighboring hills. " But," added the venerable pioneer, " I 

* See page 537. 



COLONEL BUETON SPEAKS A PIECE. 471 

was too much occupied at the time with other concerns to 
devote any time or attention to it. My crops were ripe, 
and it was imperative that they should be gathered as 
quickly as possible. But I do recollect the scientiJiG Swedish 
gentleman." 

Colonel Thorpe also referred to the acquisition of Cali- 
fornia, its wonderful people, and its rapid march to great- 
ness. Eloquently he pictured some of the scenes of early 
days, and addressing General Sutter, paid him a most 
glowing tribute as a patriot, pioneer and philanthropist, 
whose name would live in history and be crowned with 
honors, not won on the battle-field, in the forum, or in 
political life, but as a benefactor and friend to humanity. 

Colonel Edward F. Burton, " The man of '49," who is 
well-known in California, was brought to his feet by the 
unanimous call of the assembly, and proceeded to make a 
few " humble remarks." He narrated his experience as an 
honest miner, a period when true happiness was to be found ; 
when there were no rent or wash -bills to pay, no tax col- 
lectors to fret one's soul and eat up a man's substance; 
when there wore no vile dyspeptic cooks, but every one 
prepared his morning and evening meal to suit his own 
taste. His speech recalled the individual experiences of 
many present, and was in a continuous current of humor 
that kept the assemblage in a roar. 

In honor of a number of ladies who had been invited 
into the hall to hear the singing and speaking, the quar- 
tette sang the " Toast to the Ladies." General Gibson 
called upon INIr. Clark Bell, a distinguished lawyer of iSTew 
York, to respond in their behalf, which duty he performed 
in his usual eloquent and pleasing manner, paying a most 
fitting tribute to the fair sex. 

Mr. J. J. McCloskey, the California pioneer actor, next 
gave some interesting reminiscences of the drama in 1849. 
He said the time was too short to relate all of his experiences. 
It would take two or three weeks to do it. The traveler 



472 MRS. BINGHAM AND HER TWINS. 

from the East in visiting California is struck with the mag- 
nificence of the theatres. They have tlie finest appoint- 
ments of any in the Avorkl. Brothers of the buskin in the 
Golden City now have their yachts, their base ball clubs, 
stop at the hotels, and wear purple and fine linen. It was 
not so in the days of '49. At that time, when traveling, 
they trusted to the back of la mula or walked. They had 
no scenery but that which Avas made by the local sign 
painter, who generally gave nothing but a daub of yellow 
sky. They had to fight against both fire and water, and 
move continually from camp to camp, following the miners 
wherever they went. Sometimes they gave a performance 
in the dining-hall of a hotel, and admitted the miners at $5 
a head. 

Mr. McCloskey next referred to j\Irs. Lizzie Bingham, 
the pioneer actress of California, the first Avhite woman who 
ever crossed the plains to that State. He spoke of her as 
a most remarkable woman, and described her entry into 
Downieville with her twin babies, in laughable terms. He 
also described the death of INIrs. Bingham in a battle at 
Nicaragua, and closed with a brilliant tribute to her 
memory. 

Colonel Joe Lawrence, an old '49er and veteran news- 
paper editor, upon being called upon, arose and favored the 
company with a speech in a most humorous strain. He 
singled out of the guests prominent men of the early days, 
and related in an inimitable manner incidents connected 
M'ith their early California life. He said he only intended 
to give their good points, and they need not tremble for fear 
of any revelations that might sound harsh. As the Colonel 
proceeded, he fairly Avarmed in his wit, and only that the 
orchestra broke in with some popular selection, he might 
have continued two or tliree hours longer. Of course, the 
President censured the leader of the orchestra for the inter- 
ruption; but too late, the Colonel had resumed his seat. 

Secretary Clark arose and said he had intendetl to have 



SECRETAKY CLAKk's SPEECH. 473 

made some remarks appropriate to the occasion, but that 
previous speakers having taken the "wind out of liis sails," 
he would confine his remarks to one subject, and that was 
the claim of our venerated chieftain and associate, General 
Sutter, against the government for property of which he 
was unjustly deprived many years ago. Secretary Clark 
urged upon each individual member of the Society, and all 
other Californians, the duty that was imposed upon them to 
use all their personal influence, by all honorable means, to 
induce Congress to repay the old pioneer, and thus contri- 
bute to his comfort and smooth the pathway of his declining 
years. Mr. Clark's remarks were received at their close 
with three hearty cheers and a tiger for General Sutter. 

Mr. Joseph S. Spinney delivered a very feeling and elo- 
quent eulogy upon the late Henry Meiggs, of Peru. He 
believed if any man had ever repented of an error and 
tried in all possible ways to show his repentance by acts of 
charity and restoration, that man was Harry Meiggs, and 
he firmly believed he had gone to rest with the Saviour of 
all mankind in the realms above; and, in the words of 
Holy Writ, he would exchiim, " Let him that hath no sin 
cast the first stone." We nmst all remember that " to err 
is human, to forgive divine." 

The President referred to the death of Colonel John A. 
Godfrey, late a member of the Society, and called on Gen- 
eral Thomas D. Johns for a few words of tribute to his 
memory, to which the General responded as follows : 

Mr. President : — This would be a cold world, indeed, did 
we not sometimes recall the memories of departed friends ; and 
this Society would not be true to one of its professed objects, 
did it fail to honor, in some befitting manner, the names of 
those associates who have been taken from us. During the 
early eventful years of California, we made the pilgrimage to- 
gether, each in his allotted sphere. The varied experiences 
we have undergone, the excitements and dangers with which 



474 THE LATE JOHN A. GODFREY. 

we have been surrounded, the trials and vicissitudes incident 
to that exceptional pioneer life, the almost magical changes of 
situation and of fortune, all tend to create a bond of union 
among us, and a sympathy which, perhaps, none but the early 
Califoruiaus comprehend and appreciate. I know, Mr. Presi- 
dent, that I ex^oress not only the sentiments of the individual 
members of this Society, but those of the Califoruiaus present 
with us this evening, in thanking you for your eloquent, ap- 
propriate and touching remarks in announcing, in your Auuual 
Report, the death of our late associate, Colonel John A. God- 
frey. He was one of our most active and enthusiastic mem- 
bers, and took great pride in the welfare and success of our 
Society. One year ago, this evening, he occupied his accus- 
tomed place at the farther end of this table, in the flush of 
manhood, and leading in our festivities ; his voice is hushed, 
that chair is vacant now and bears the emblems of mourning. 
We have no eulogy to pronounce here ; but when we are 
called to follow him, may each of us have fraternal and 
friendly voices to speak of us as we now say of him, " gone 
but not forgotten." 

During the evening, the quartette sang Mr. S. C. Up- 
ham's " Song of the Argonauts ; or, the Days of '49/' the 
entire company joining in the chorus. Mr. William J. 
Hill sang the following serio-comic song, -written by Mr. 
Samuel C. Uphaui, expressly for the occasion : 

Y« ANCIENT YUBA MINER, OF THE DAYS OF M'J. 



Air:— "Fine Old English Gentleman." 
I. 

To you I'll sing a good old song, made by a Quaker pate, 

Of an ancient Yuba miner, who owned no real estate, 

But who Avhen a^sked where he belonged, this son of Uncle 

Sam, 
He scratched his head a moment, then in accents clear and 

shrill, straightway ejaculated "Yuba Dam!" 
Did this ancient Yuba Miner, of the days of '49. 




Yb ancient YUBA MINER, OF THE DAYS OF '49. 



(475) 



47G 



YE ANCIENT YUBA MINER. 




II. 

I'm told that simple Avns his food, he used no forks nor spoons, 
And with old flour and coffee-sacks he patched his trouser- 

loous ; 
He was saucy, lousy, ragged, lank, but hapjiy as a clam, 
And whcu interrogated in relation to the location from whence 

he hailed, he invariably replied, " Yuba Dam/" 
Did this grizzled Yuba miner, of the days of '49. 




III. 

On a prospecting tour one day, he struck it very rich, 
'Twas on a little mountain stream, forniust the Yuba ditch ; 
Said he, " this claim of mine I'll sell, my purse the dust will 

cram," 
But when questioned in relation to his antecedents, and from 

whence he came, he articulated, " Yuba Dam/" 
Did this lucky Yuba miner, of the days of '49. 



Yi= ANCIENT YUBA MINEK. 



477 




IV. 

He started down to 'Frisco town, this man of no estate, 
On mule back first, by water then — but never mind the date, 
And on his way they questioned him, this son of Uncle Sam ; 
They asked him the initials of his front name, the mine from 

whence he came, and then he placed his hand beside his 

mouth and roared out, " Yuba Dam /" 
Did this jolly Yuba miner, of the days of '49. 




V. 

When he arrived in 'Frisco town, the mud was very deep, 
Said he, " my equilibrium now, I surely mean to keep ;" 
But then the crowd they jostled him, and finally, in a jam, 
He was pitched headlong into the mud, and wlieu fished out 
and asked where he bclonjjed, he sputtered, " Yuba Dam !" 
Did this wilted Yuba miner, of the days of '49. 



478 



Y« ANCIENT YUBA MINER. 




YI. 
Into the " El Dorado " then, he -went to try his hick, 
Said he, " I'll show those gamboliers a little Yuba pluck, 
I'll bust their cussed monte bank, for I am nary sham," 
But he soon emerged a vriser but a badly busted individual, 
and to every question asked him, he replied, " Yuba Dam /'' 
Did this busted Yuba miner, of the days of '49. 




YII. 

Soon on a stretcher he was laid, Avith his head all caved in. 

For the way that they had walloped him, was a shame and 
awful sin ; 

All mashed and shattered was his head, as if butted by a ram ; 

The doctor felt his corpus, the parson sung a psalm, and when 
they asked him from whence he came, he faintly whis- 
pered, " Yuba Dam /" 

Did this dying Yuba miner, of the days of '49. 



HON. DEMAS STEONG'S SPEECH. 479 




VIII. 
The coroner soon an inquest held, and then at his command, 
They shoved old Yuba in a box, and dumped him in the sand, 
At midnight hour they buried him, without show, or pomp, or 

flam, 
And when at the last day Gabriel's trump shall sound, among 

the early risers, you bet, will be old " Yuba Dam !" 
That defunct and ancient miner, of the days of '49. 

The President called upon Hon. Demas Strong, ex- 
Supervisor of Brooklyn, President of the first City Coun- 
cil of Sacramento City, and acting Mayor of that city after 
the death of Mayor Bigclow, in the fall of 1850, for a speech. 
That gentleman acquiescing, stated that, as it was past 
midnight, and rather late for speech-making, he would 
make his remarks brief. He described his voyage from 
Panama to San Francisco in the first ship that left tlie 
latter harbor after the discovery of gold. The crews of all 
previous vessels invariably ran off to the gold-diggings. 
The speeches of the evening liad recalled memories to his 
mind which would go down with him to the grave, but he 
would refrain from jnitting them into words, as he merely 
wished to ask those present to put the sentiments expressed 
into practical form, and use every effort to enroll as mem- 
bers of this Society all the California pioneers throughout 
the country, so that the Association should number thou- 



480 DISTINGUISHED GUESTS. 

sands instead of liundrcds, and slionld become the chief 
bond of union among tliose who hud settled California. 

Among the notable gentlemen present, were ex-Mayor 
Vance, of New York ; Donald IVIcCIellan, Esq., President 
o^ Pacific Woollen 3Iills, San Francisco; J. W. Simonton, 
Esq., Associated Press; Clark Bell, Esq. ; IMr. B. C. 
Watson, President Grocers' Bank, a '49er ; James F. 
Curtis, ex- Chief of Police of San Francisco; John ^McCul- 
lougli, the Tragedian; Colonel Joe Lawrence and S. C. 
Upham, Pioneer Netcspa2:)er Men of Sacramento City; 
Prentice Mulford, the California Humorist; J. J. Mc- 
Closkey and Clay Greene, Playwrights ; Colonel T. B. 
Thorpe ; and from Brooklyn were Hon. Calvin E. Pratt, 
Justice of the Suj)reme Court; Hon. Joseph Neilson and 
George G. Reynolds, Judges of tJie City Court; Plon. 
Demas Strong, cr-SupeiTisor ; ]\Ir. Maxwell, of the Brook- 
lyn Daily Times; Mv. J. E. Edey, INIr. W. J. Hill, W. C. 
Bryant and James A. Sperry. 

At half-past one o'clock. A, INl., the quartette sang the 
following verses of the "Song of the Argonauts ; or, The 
Days o/'40." the entire audience joining in the chorus: 

Fresh laurel-wreaths we bring to-day, 

To crown the Patriarch, 
Whoso hand unlocked the golden ore, 

In gulch and canon dark. 
Old Pioneer ! thy name wc still 

In all our hearts enshrine; 
God's blessing rest upon thy head, 

Dear friend of old king syne ! 

Chorus. — Oh, cherished be for evermore 
The days of auld lang syne, 
Those golden days — rcmciubered days — 
The days of 'Forty-nine. 

Hillside, ravine and tul6 marsh, 
Now blossom as the rose, 



"home, sweet home." 481 

And 'round Diablo's verdant base 

The crystal streamlet flows. 
Now glory be to God on liigli ! 

Let this our pa)an be — 
And peace on earth, good-will to man, 

Our prayer, O God, to Thee ! 

Chorus. — Oh, cherished be for evermore, etc. 

At the conclusion of the singing, tlie orchestra struck up 
"Home, Sweet Home," and the company quietly dispersed, 
well pleased with the evening's entertainment, and hoping 
to meet again one year hence. 

On Saturday, the day following the banquet, at the 
special request of Mr. Sarony, the celebrated photographic 
artist, of New York, General Sutter, Secsretary Clark, 
General Johns and Mr. Samuel C. Upham visited his 
gallery and sat for imperial portraits, Mr. Sarony also 
presented General Sutter with a fine picture of General 
Albert Pike, of Arkansas, the aged veteran of the Mexican 
war, and expressed himself much pleased by this visit from 
so distinguished a personage as General Sutter. 



RECEPTION TO GENERAL JOHN C. FREMONT. 



Formal reception by General Fremont — Notables present — Decora- 
tions of tlie hall — The banquet — Vice-President Gibson's address 
of welcome — General Fremont's response — Letters of regret read 
by the Secretary — Speeches, etc. 

General John C. Fremont, Governor of the Territory 
of Arizona, being on the eve of dcpartnre for his official post 
on the Pacific coast, was tendered a reception at tlie Stnr- 
tevant House, New York, on the evening of the 1st of 
August, 1878, by his friends and compatriots, " The As- 
sociated Pioneers op the Territorial Days of 
California." 



1S43. PIONEERS OF CALIFORNIA. 1878. 

BICEPTIOH 

—TO— 

General John C. Fremont, 

Governor of Arizona Territory, 
PREVIOUS TO HIS DEPARTURE FOR THE PACIFIC COAST. 



BV UIS OLD CALIFOKXIA FRIENDS AND AS.'SOOI AXES, 

Tie AssocialeJ Pioneers of tlie Territorial Days of California 

AT THEIR HEAD-QUARTERS, 

ON THUfRSOAY EVENING, AUGUST ist, i8y8. 

AT 8 O'CLOCK. 
FOR CARDS OF ADMISSION ADDRESS THE SECRETARY. 



FRAXCIS D. CLARK, Secretary, 

16 Cortlandt Street. 



JOHN A. SUTTER, 

President 



(482) 



MEMBERS AND GUESTS. 483 

The author is indebted to Secretary Clark for the fol- 
lowing report : 

From eight to nine o'clock, the General held an infor- 
mal reception in one of the hotel parlors, after which about 
one hundred of the Pioneers sat down to an elegant supper. 
In the absence of the President of the Association, General 
John A. Sutter, the chair was occupied by General H. G. 
Gibson, U. S. A., the senior Vice-President. At his right 
sat the guest of the evening and his two sons, John C. 
Fremont, Jr., U. S. N., and Francis Preston Fremont. 
Among the members present were ex-Governor R. M. 
Price, of New Jersey ; Joseph Evans, Colonel George D. 
Brewerton, William II. Rogers, Hon. Francis D. Clark, 
Charles J. McPhcrson and Colonel Geo. M. Leonard — the 
last six were members of the historic " Stevenson's Regi- 
ment;" — Hon. William Colligan, Deputy Surveyor E. 
F. Burton, Colonel E. C. Kemble, first editor of the 
AUa California, in 184(); Hon. C. Lydecker, Stephen 
L. Merchant, son of General C. S. Merchant; James J. 
JMcCloskey, the pioneer actor ; Vice-President John Sick- 
els, E. W. Crowd!, Cliarlcs W. Schumann and William 
M. Walton. Among the guests were Colonel T. B. 
Thorpe, Dr. J. W. Morton, who had just returned from a 
trip tiiroiigh the Australian Diamond Fields; General W. 
L. Tidball, a Mexican war veteran; Colonel E. R. Good- 
rich, Judge Curtis, ex-Mayor of San Francisco; Major 
AV. W. Leland, George B. Ammermon and General H. L. 
Burnett. 

The dining-hall was handsomely decorated with mottoes 
and emblems appropriate to the occasion. At the head of 
the hall was an entablature with the following inscription: 
'' Reception to Captain John C. Fremont by Captain John 
A. Sutter, at Sutter's Fort, California, March Cth, 1844." 
At the lo\\er end of the hall was a large cuirass bearing 
the figure of a grizzly bear, with the word "California" 
above it and "Pioneers" below. The tables were pro- 



484 GENERAL GIBSOn's ADDRESS OF GREETING. 

fascly decorated with flowers. Before supjser the guests 
arose and sang the long metre doxology — " Praise God from 
whom all blessings flow." 

After the company had devoted over one hour to the 
viands set so temptingly before them, washed down with 
wines of California vintage of the famous house of Lands- 
burgh & Co., San Francisco, and when coffee had been 
handed around, and cigars lighted, General Gibson, the 
chairman, arose and delivered the following eloquent ad- 
dress of welcome : 

Fellow-Californians : — In the absence of our grand old 
Patriarch and beloved fellow-Pioneer and President, the duty 
devolves upon me of welcoming our distinguicjlied guest. I 
regret that he is not here to-night to express, though only in 
his tremulous and embarrassed utterances, the same cordial 
greeting which he gave to his worthy compeer and compadre, 
on the banks of the Sacramento thirty-four years ago. Though 
his speech might have been only silver, the welcome of his 
heart would have been golden. 

We have met this evening to do honor to an eminent citizen 
of the Republic and a renowned pioneer, who, as the great 
Pathfinder of Empire, first disclosed to the nation a knowledge 
of the rich and attractive country bordering the Pacific, and 
whose name will, through all coming time, be identified with 
the exploration of a continent, and with the American occu- 
pation and development of the Golden Land. Traversing 
with his httle band the trackless wastes, forbidding mountains 
and dense forests lying between the mighty Father of Waters 
and that magnificent region, whose 

" snow-sierras hide 

Huge crystalled rocks of virgin gold, 

Adown abrading torrents rolled, 

In lucid streams, by summer shoaled, 

A golden tide ;" 

the youthful explorer in his first enterprise determined 'the 
physical geography of a vast, unknown territory, and con- 



GEN. FEEMONT's SERVICES TO THE NATION. 485 

tributed to science the wealth of his felicitous and valuable 
discoveries. "Wending his way a second time to the then 
foreign provinces of the Califoruias, he inspired and aided the 
raising of the standard of revolt against the rule of the Mexi- 
can, on the oak-orchard plain of Sonoma, and thus made the 
initiatory step which led to the acquisition, consummated by 
the war with Mexico, of that beautiful and opulent domain, 
and which Fremont and destiny had determined should be 
ours thenceforth and forever. Discovering, also, in his first 
expedition, a practicable route by the eastern base of the 
Sierra Nevada, from the valley of the Sacramento to the grand 
forest-crowned region " along the lone Columbia," his foot- 
prints became the unerring guide to all who followed after. 
For as to the fidelity and accuracy of his descriptions and 
observations, as he spied out the land, your chairman can tes- 
tify from personal experience ; that the itinerary of each day's 
journey, as we pursued the rough tenor of our way through 
the vast wilderness of lava bed, forest, plain, mountain and 
canon — thi*ough "a land of fracture, violence and fire" — was 
pictured on the mental vision before as clearly defined as the 
actual vision beheld it thereafter. A portion of the country 
traversed by Fremont had been imperfectly explored by the 
previous expeditions of Lewis, Clark and Long, as well as by 
Bonneville, whose crude narrative, enriched and embellished 
by the graceful pen of Washington Irving, charmed our child- 
hood, and yet delights our mature years. These gave, how- 
ever, but a faint idea of its magnificent character, and it re- 
mained for Fremont to impart to us a full knowledge of its 
grand and peculiar features, its wonderful beauties and re- 
sources. 

For his great and distinguished service to the State, the 
Government at "Washington awarded him promotion in the 
army, and the new-born Golden State of California a seat in 
the Senate of the United States. In later years, bearing the 
standard of a great political party, he with knightly courage, 
courtesy and modesty, led it nigh unto victoiy, and opened the 
path to its subsequent success ; and, at a critical period of its 

fortunes, contributed to its overwhelming triumph and con- 

28 



48G HIS HIGHEST KENOWN AS AN EXPLOKER. 

tinuance of power, l)y his graceful and opportune retirement 
from the field as the nominee, a second time, for the Presi- 
dency, of a great convention of his fellow-citizens. 

In his military career, as an officer of engineers, he displayed 
rare ability, and remarkable fertility of resources and expedi- 
ents ; and as a field officer of the line, added to his fame by the 
joint conquest, Avith the gallant Stockton, of the territory of the 
Californias ; and how far the crimes and blunders at Washington 
afiected his usefulness, success and renown, as a leader and 
commander of our armies in the late civil war, as of other true 
and loyal soldiers, who bore the heat and burden of the day, 
and stood among their fellows high in reputation for Avisdom 
and honorj impartial history must determine.* It suffices us, 
however, to know that his sarvices came fully up to the official 
standard of " gallant, faithful and meritorious." But as an 
explorer, his name must ever be classed with those noble and 
illustrious names on that brilliant scroll, Avhich embraces 
INIarco Polo and de Soto, jNIungo Park and Livingstone ; Avitli 
those Avho " in journeyings often, in perils of Avaters, in perils 
of robbers, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the Avilderness ; 
in AA'eariuess and painfulness, in Avatchiugs often, in liunger and 
thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness," haA'e exj)osed 
or sacrificed their lives in the cause of science and humanity ; 
and AAdiose marvelous sagacity, indomitable courage, patience 
and fortitude have reflected glory on our race. 

But the full measure of reward for his brilliant and eminent 

services, Avhose 

" records half-effaced, 
"Which with the hand of youth lie traced 
On history's page," 

has never been conceded nor bestoAved. It is an inherent, and 

* The history of the war of the rebellion — written and unwritten — 
shows that McClellan, Buell, Fitz-John Porter and Stone (an old Cali- 
fornian) were victims of these crimes and blunders, and that Grant, 
Sherman (an old Pioneer) and Thomas came near being crushed in the 
opening of their careers, or at the zenith of their fame, by the ignorance, 
prejudice and imbecility at Washington. That the commanders in the 
valley of the Shenandoah and in front of Washington were likewise 
sufferers from these acts and influences must be the verdict of the honest 
and faithful chronicler of the war. 



GENERAL FEEMONT's EEPLY. 487 

perhaps, ineradicable vice of all republics that their great 
benefactors and heroes are seldom dflly honored or rewarded 
while living — soon neglected or forgotten when dead ; and our 
own Republic can claim no immunity from the vice. That it 
may cease to be its reproach and shame should be the fervent 
prayer of eveiy true patriot ;* and that when we have done 
with honoring with "storied urn and animated bust" the 
genius and hei'oism of antiquity and of other lands, we may 
find time and means to demonstrate to the world, that there 
are those of our own land who have " won a mural crown of 
towering glory." May the time yet come when as the golden 
orb of day sinks to his rest in the bosom of the mighty ocean 
beyond the portals of the Golden Gate, his parting rays shall 
shed their golden light on its pinnacles, whereon shall stand 
the sculptured forms of Fremont and Sutter, with the in- 
scription on the one, " Thejxith he trod was the Path to Empire f^ 
and on the other, "The golden heart that enriched the Golden 
Land r 

General Fremont, you are about to depart for the vicinity of 
the scenes of your former labors and signal deeds, and we come 
as fellow-Pioneers and Californians, to offer to you our earnest 
congratulations and cordial good wishes. May health and 
happiness attend you, and in your new field of employment, 
may you ever enjoy the approving smiles and favor of a grate- 
ful, appreciative people. As your youth was adorned with 
fame, may your age be crowned with glory and honor. For 
myself, in the remembrance of a pleasant journey together in 
years gone by, through the beautiful valley of the San Joaquin, 
" on fields with daisies pied," and " gorgeous flowerets in the 
sunlight shining," through arid waste and cooling mountain 
grove — in the remembrance of a kindness done, but as soon 
forgotten by you, I tender to you the kindliest greeting and 
most earnest prayer that heart can feel, or voice or hand ex- 
press. [Great applause.] 

With evident emotion, General Fremont responded as 
follows : 

Gentlemen : — You would no doubt think it strange if I did 



4sS -zrrz^ 



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*r 'rT>»^ T~-TiTif^r >--rgi-«- ~^" ii i i 1i I Mil llflil HiM? ~rti — ir T"n^r-"nar 

uf ims: of TTtf- £^mm^ T^ im ii mA ^if 
—II iz -fat si-ri^iiasKaBu "^^ caaaaann^ 



— 7» Inner si s» 



at? » - :~i lit Sr«iassrr ^tT 



I 



~-^^,fT.-^7^^^ ^tr- Itfta^ 157*. 



LETTER FROM MR. UPHAM. 489 

ciate and compatriot, the nieridiau of whose life was devoted 
to deeds that have rendered his name famous wherever the 
English language is read or spoken. 

The " Great Golden Medal " for progress in the sciences, 
sent to him by Baron Humboldt, on behalf of the King of 
Prussia, his election as an honorary member of the Ge(\L!,ra[)hi- 
cal Society of Berlin, the Founder's Medal, awarded him by 
the Royal Geographical Society, of London, for his pre-omi- 
uent services in promoting the cause of geographical science, 
attest the high estimation in which he is held by eminent men 
of letters and of science in the Old World. His four explor- 
ing expeditions — the crowning efforts of his life — in the years 
1842, '43, '45 and '48, the three latter being entirely across 
that portion of this continent lying between the Fatlun* of 
Waters and the Pacific Ocean, are grander in conception and 
execution than any similar achievements of the present cen- 
tury, and have been prolific of results scarcely dreamed of by 
their projector. 

Westward, like the Star of Empire, the Pathfinder took his 
way. His path was neither strewn nor embowered with roses. 
Over arid plains, alkali deserts, through trackless forests and 
yawning canons, over the snow-capped Sierras, surrounded by 
savage hordes, Fremont and his little band of modern Spar- 
tans solved the great problem of a highway between the 
Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans ; and to-day, over a part of 
this route, where lie the bones of many of those brave pioneers, 
unmarked by mound or head-stone, the iron horse, with sinews 
and nerves of steel and breath of steam, flies over the metallic 
track so swiftly that space seems to be almost annihilated. 

One of those brave Pathfinders, Charles Taplin, was my 
fellow-townsman. When he left the old homestead, nestling 
at the base of the Green Mountains, he was a wild, rollicking 
youth, but w'hen he returned home a few years later he was re- 
markably tame and docile ; a striking exemplification of the 
old adage that hunger and mule-steak Avill tame a crow. 

General Fremont's identification with the early history of 
California, having been elected Governor of that Territory by 
the American settlers on July 4th, 1846, and his appointment 



490 LETTER FROM GENERAL SHERMAN. 

the same year by Commodore Stocktou as military command- 
ant and civil Governor ot' that Territory, and his election by 
the Legislature of California, iu December, 1849, as one of 
the two Senators to represent the new State in the Senate of 
the United States, render it meet and proper that we, his 
associates and compatriots, should congratulate him on his re- 
cent appointment as Governor of Arizona, the scene of a part 
of his early explorations. 

His title to this office is not based upon mere political ser- 
vice, and the fact of his not being a " bloated bondholder," 
serves to show that he did not, while in office, prostitute his 
position to the purposes of private gain, and it must be grati- 
fying to the recipient to know that this somewhat tai-dy recog- 
nition by the government he has served so well meets with 
the general approval of the whole country. 

In conclusion, I profier the following sentiment, which I 
am quite sure my associates will heartily indorse: May the 
remaining days of our honored guest be as peaceful and tran- 
quil as his former have been active aud illustrious. 

Fraternally, 

Samuel C. Upham. 

^ASHTN-GTOX, D. C, Julv 30th, 1878. 

Frascis D. Clakk, Secretary California Pioneers — My 
Dear Sir: — I thank you for remembering me in connection 
with the public reception tendered to General John C. 
Fremont, on the 1st of August, at the Sturtevant House, on 
the eve of his departure for his post of duty as Governor of 
Arizona. 

It would afford me very great pleasure to form one of your 
guests on so pleasant an occasion, for General Fremont's name 
aud fame are inseparably connected with the early days of 
California, the charm of which forms the bond of union to the 
Society of Pioneers, with its numerous branches all over the 
country. 

As you foresaw, it Avill be impossible for me to come to !Now 
York on the 1st prox. ; but I beg you to assure your guest of 
what he alreadv knows, that he and his mav alwavs command 



OTHER LETTERS OF REGRET. 491 

my office iu auy courtesy or assistance which will add honor to 
his name or give him personal pleasure. 

With great respect, your friend, 

W. T. Sherman, General. 

The reading of the above letters was interrupted by 
shouts of applause and elajiping of liands. The General 
arose and made a special acknowledgment to the writers 
of these two generous and warm-hearted letters. 

Extract from a letter received from ]Mr. John Dolman, 
of I*hiladclphia, one of the men of Commodore Stockton's 
and General Fremont's command, in 184G, now a promi- 
nent lawyer of that city : 

I am unfortunately unable to be with you to-morrow even- 
ing, at the Fremont reception. I had fully intended to be 
present, but an argument fixed for three o'clock, P. INT., to- 
morrow, before a Master in Equity, will detain me beyond the 
hour at which I could take the train for New York, and I 
could not arrange for a postponement of the argument. 

General John A. Sutter, President of the Society, writing 
from his home at Lititz, Pa., said : 

I think it is all right that our Society has tendered a recep- 
tion to General Fremont, and greatly regret that a recent at- 
tack of rheumatism will keep me away. 

Captain D. S. Babcock, President of tlie Pacific Mail 
Steamship Company, wrote: 

I regi'et exceedingly that circumstances will prevent my at- 
tendance at the dinner to General John C. Fremont, to-morrow 
evening. 

From Joseph Evans, Esq., of Newark, N. J., a former 
member of Stevenson's regiment : 

Circumstances may prevent my attending the dinner to 
General John C. Fremont. It would afford me great pleasure 
to assist in doing honor to the great Pathfinder, who is so pre- 
eminently a Pioneer of California. 



492 GOVEKNOR PEICE'S SPEECH. 

Thomas L. James, Esq., Postmaster of Xew York, re- 
plied as follows: 

I thank you very cordially for your kindness in inviting me 
to the reception to General John C. Fremont by your Society, 
and unless prevented by some unforeseen official engagement, 
shall do myself the honor of being present. 

Messrs. William R. Garrison, George Howes, John S. 
Ellis, Hon. Demas Strong, Hon. Jeremiah Sherwood, 
General James F. Curtis and several other members of the 
Society, sent their regrets, stating that absence from the city 
with their families "would prevent their attendance upon so 
enjoyable an occasion. 

At the conclusion of the reading of letters, the Chairman 
called upon ex-Governor Rodman ^I. Price for a speech, 
who, in response, related incidents about the occupation of 
Monterey in 1846. He spoke of the contemplated presence 
of General Fremont in Arizona as a promise of protection 
to all citizens. He felt sure that his former associate would 
serve ^yith such distinction and prestige that thousands of 
emigrants "would follow in his footsteps. He looked for- 
"ward to the time %yhen, in two or three years at the most, 
Arizona would cease to be a Territory and ^yould become a 
State. Gov. Price also hinted at tlie possibility of the ac- 
quisition of the Mexican State of Sonora in the near future. 

Colonel T. B. Tliorpe, in answer to a call, made a very 
neat and complimentary speech, and in the course of his 
remarks compared General Fremont to Jason, put pointed 
out one great difference between the two. Jason was re- 
ported to have had the very worst wife ever known, while 
the General had the best that could have been chosen 
among the American people. 

Secretary Clark, in a short speech, referred to the fact 
of this day being the thirty-second anniversary of " Steven- 
son's Regiment" going upon Governor's Island, New York 
harbor, preparatory to setting forth on the voyage to Call- 



BRIEF SPEECHES BY OTHERS. 493 

fornia, and that thirty-two years ago to-night the men took 
their lirst supper (bread and coffee) at the expense of Uncle 
Sam. Six of those men are with us to-night. [Secretary 
Clark always refers with pride to the old regiment.] 

Hon. Wm. Colligan, who M'as present at the hoisting of 
the American flag at Monterey, was called upon for a 
speech, but said he couldn't. INIr. Colligan was attached 
to the command of Captain Fremont upon that terrible 
march over Saint Inis Mountains, December 25th, 1846, 
when the loss of animals was so great from the storm and 
cold. Colonel E. C. Kemble, another gentlemen present, 
was an officer in the same command. 

Secretary Clark called attention to the fact that no name 
is so inseparably connected with the explorations of General 
Fremont as that of Kit Carson, but that gentleman had 
long since departed this life ; but we had with us this 
evening a gentleman who made that celebrated ride, in 
company with Kit Carson, from California to New jMexico, 
in 1848. That gentleman was Colonel George D, Brewer- 
ton, a lieutenant in Stevenson's Regiment. 

In response to the call of the assembled company Colo- 
nel Brewerton arose. In appearance he is tall and finely 
formed, with grizzled hair and whiskers, polished in his 
language, and would hardly be recognized as the same j^er- 
son whose portrait adorns the front of a work on Kansas 
published in 1856, dressed in buckskin shirt, cap and 
pants, with a rifle over his shoulder. 

Colonel B. said he had sat listening this evening with 
intense interest to every word that had dropped from the 
lips of the speakers, and even now he could scarcely realize 
that it was not all a dream. Was he really awake, or was 
he once more amid the scenes of his younger days? days of 
so much pleasure and adventure upon the Pacific coast in 
the years of 1847 and '48. I am asked to speak of Kit 
Carson — not the Kit Carson we read about in the dime 
novels and other sensational literature of the present day, 



49-4 KECOLLECTIOXS OF KIT CAKSOX. 

but Kit Cai"^ou as I know him from close ami intimate 
acquaintanooship amid the mountains and plains of the 
Pacific slope, and later, at his home, amid his family in 
Xew Mexico. In manner he was mild and gentlemanly, 
simple and childlike in his convers;ition, seldom or never 
speaking of himself or his exploits, but iu an emergency as 
brave as a lion ; cool, and betraying no sign of four amidst 
the greatest dangers. That famous ride of Kit Carson's 
with his twenty companions, of which I ^vas one, from 
California to New Mexico, iu 1S4S, recalls an incident 
that transpired, which clearly shows the character of the 
man. One morning our small party was confixMitetl 
bv a band of two hundred and fifty hostile Apache 
Indians. Kit coolly surveyeil his ground, and at a 
glance took iu the situation. Drawing a line ou the ground 
to their rear, he exclaimed, iu that tone peculiar to AVesteru 
trappers : '" Thar, thar ; let no man step across that line. 
Our business is iu front of us !" And, after a short and 
determined fight the hostiles were dispei-sed. A few days 
suaveding this event I asked Kit how he felt at the mo- 
ment of discovering the Indians. He replied : *' I thought 
we should lose our ha'r before sundown ;'' and yet no one 
could detect in his actions the slightest sign to denote such 
a feeling. Colonel B. s;\id he never tired of speaking of 
that noble and devoted associate of the Pathfinder, Kit 
Carson . 

Colonel E, F. Burton, Deputy Surveyor of the port of 
Xew York and a member of the Society, being called upon 
for "a few remarks," said, '* It was a great plciisure for 
this Society, the Associatetl Pioneei*s of — well, I ainnot 
rectiU the baUmce of our title, but friend Clark over iu the 
corner can give it to you, as he has studied it all by he;irt — 
to have Groueral Fremont with us this evening, but he 
really did not think it was us that did the honor, for 
all the honor came from Greneral Fremont himself. It 
Wiis he that had honored us. He had a name that was 



A FLOKAL TRIBUTE TO MES. FREMONT. 495 

famous the world over." Colonel Burton continued in 
his usual humorous strain, -which caused the most deafen- 
ing shouts of laughter and applause. His recollections of 
the " Davs of '-19," are always listened to with unusual 
interest. 

Colonel E. C. Kemble, in ans\ver to a call, made a short 
speech, in which he spoke of his arrival in California on 
July 31st, 1846, in the ship Brooldyn, in company with 
Mr. Samuel Brannan and the JNIormon emigrants. Ho 
gave a very graphic account of that terrible march down 
the coast in the month of December, 1846, and of their 
sufferings on the night of Christmas, Avhen officers and 
men laid down in a drenching storm without shelter or 
food. Colonel Kemble said that until Mr. Colligan arose 
he had supposed he and General Fremont were the only 
ones present mIu) participated in that march. Colonel 
Kemble also spoke very feelingly of his old comrade and 
partner, ISIr. Edward Gilbert, a lieutenant of Stevenson's 
reo-iment, both of whom were connected with the Alta Call- 
forn'ia at the date of Mr. Gilbert's death, the circumstances 
of which are too well remembered by all old Californians, 

Other speeches Avere made by Messrs. J. P. Curry, John 
P. Bidwcll (nephew of Mr. John Bidwell, of Chico, Cali- 
fornia), Judge Curtis, a '49er, and Colonel W. L. Tidball. 

Mr. James J. McCloskey, spoke of the recent death of 
Colonel Joseph E. Lawrence, a gentleman who was so well 
known in San Francisco, and referred to the fact that 
Colonel Lawrence was laid between the graves of one- 
brother-in-law and one cousin, both of whom had occupied 
the position of Mayor of this great city. 

Among the jileasant features of the evening was the 
sending from the festive board of a magnificent basket of 
flowers, with the name "Jessie" inscribed in floral letters, 
to Mrs. General Fremont at her residence in West Twenty- 
second Street, and in about one hour the following response 
was returned, written upon one of Mrs. F.'s cards : 



49G 



MRS. FREMONT S RESPONSE. 



My grateful thanks for the lovely form of remembrance 
from the Pioneers. 

Jessie Benton Fremont. 



The reception closed at a late hour, with long continued 
cheers for the veteran American explorer and the chief 
hero of the romantic history of the discovery, possession 
and settlement of the gold regions of the great West. 
The whole entertainment reflected great credit upon the 
New York Society of California Pioneers, and General 
Fremont will talvo fresh courage from this kindly greeting 
of his old frieuds. 



RECEPTION TO HON. PHILIP A. ROACH. 



The banquet— General IT. Gates Gibson's address of welcome — 
Senator Roach's response — Letters of regret — Notables present 
— Speeches, etc. 

Ox the arrival of Hon. Pliilip A. Roach, ex-Prcsldcnt 
of the "Society of California Pioneers/' in New York, in 
the summer of 1876, he was tendered a reception by " The 
Associated Pioneers of the Territorial Days of 
California," at the Sturtevant House, in that city, on 
the evenino; of June 19th. 



RECEPTI O N 

TO TIIK 

Hon. PHILIP A. ROACH, 

OF SAN FBANCISCO. 
Ex-President of the Society of California Pioneers, 

On Im Fird Visit to the Atlantic Coast since the Spring of IS/J), by 

The Associatsd Pioneers of the Territorial Days of California, 

At their Head-quarters, Sturtevant House, New York City, 

Monday Evening, June l9th, 1876, 

At 9 o'clock. 

FRANCIS D. CLARK, II. G. GIBSON, 

Secretary and Treasurer. Brevet Brig. -Gen. U.S. A., President. 



The following account of the reception and banquet is 
compiled from a report in the Neio York Herald of the 
next morning, and memoranda furnished by Secretary 
Francis D. Clariv : 

A reception was given last evening by the Pioneers of 
California, at the Sturtevant House, to Hon. Philip A. 
Roach, of San Francisco, this being his first visit to the 

(497) 



498 ADDRESS OF WELCOME. 

Atlantic coast since the spring of 1840. It is not at all 
likely that the people who knew Mr. Roach as a young 
man in this city previous to the mcraoi'able year of '49 
will now recognize him. Twenty-seven years, under any 
circumstances, alter a man's appearance, but in the case of 
Mr. Roach they have worked additional wonders. Tlicy 
have left him as straight, as hale and as hearty as the day 
he set sail for the gold-land, but have turned his hair, 
which is long and thick, to a snowy wliitcness, preserving 
withal his ruddy, rosy complexion — and iiave added many 
pounds to his weight. When he entered the parlor last 
evening, where were assembled from ilfty to sixty of his 
old comrades of the territorial days, in S])ite of the evident 
advantage which was on their side, JNIr. lit)ach seemed to 
have the best of them in the matter of recognition. The 
recc})tion was unostentatious and without ceremony. Gene- 
ral II. G. Gibson, U. S. A., President of the Society, took 
the veteran's arm and led the way to the supper-room, the 
others following. An elegant supper, provided under the 
direction of tlie Messrs. Leland, was devoured with a 
relish, the conversation at all points turning upon Califor- 
nia, and many were the laughs and jokes of old times that 
passed down the table. Wine and cigars being brought, 
General Gibson arose and delivered the following eloquent 
address of welcome : 

Fellow-Californians : — You arc aware of the purpose 
for which we have assembled this evening — to welcome our 
esteemed guest and brother-Pioneer, on the occasion of his re- 
turn to the scenes of his boyhood, after an absence of twenty- 
seven years ; and on a mission which connnends itself to the 
approval of all, who have at heart the welfare of California and 
of our country. You will excuse me, therefore, whilst I ad- 
dress a few words of greeting and remembrance to my old 
friend and associate of the halcyon (hws of the Golden Land. 

Senator Roach : — As an old and honored citizen of Cali- 
fornia, and as one of her prominent Pioiu-ers, the Associated 



FRIENDS OF LANG SYNE. 499 

Pioneers of her Territorial Days have tendered you this recep- 
tion ; and in their name, I bid you a cordial, hearty welcome, 
on this your first visit to the Atlantic coast, since you left it in 
the heyday of youth, to participate in the exciting and glorious 
scenes and events of 1849. This duty is especially grateful to 
me, not only as your personal friend of auld lang syne, but also 
as the friend and companion of your brother, who, in the early 
days of California, perished in the wild mountain-stream, and 
who sleeps in the ancient chapel of the Mission, founded by the 
fathers of the grand old church of Christendom, and beside 
whose tomb the praise of song, and prayer, and incense ever 
ascend to the Almighty. In this greeting of mine to-night, 
however, I would not recall aught save the delightful recollec- 
tions, connected with him, with you, and with the many episodes 
and incidents of our life in California in years long past. Fami- 
liar names, faces and scenes come to mind, with pleasurable emo- 
tions, and with almost vivid reality. Monterey and its old 
redoubt — historic from association with the American conquest, 
and where many of the noted and unnoted heroes of the nation 
once quartered ; the little social gatherings, at which with 
" John Phoenix," Alfred Sully, Selim Woodworth, Jack Ham- 
ilton, Joe Boston, William Chevers and Theron Per Lee, the 
wit and " fun grew fast and fui'ious," amid " riot most un- 
couth," though not unpleasant. And then, too, with Tom 
Roach and Jack Durivage, traversing the beautiful valley of 
the San Joaquin ; with the hills and plains in rich verdure clad, 
and " bright and shining flowers," of every hue and exqui- 
site variety, " springing from out the silent ground ;" or in the 
graceful groves of oak, and on the borders of crystal, golden 
streams, where in the quiet evening-camp, Tom Roach 

" lent to the rliyme of the poet 
The beauty of his voice ; 
And the night was filled with music, 
And the cares that infest the day," 

were dispersed, by his sweet melody and song of " Ochone ! 
Widow IMachree !" More I might revive of these 

" pictures of memory, long since hung away. 
And faded by age, or the dust of the past ;" 



500 MR. roach's reply. 

more I might recall of " llio friends so linked in love together;" 
but I forbear lest " chewing the cud of sweet and bitter fancies " 
and recollections, mingled as tliey are in human life, I should 
touch those tender chords of feeling, -whoso music " ilows with " 
sacred and " sweet meanings for the heart alone." But our 
hearts must have become cold, indeed, from contact with the 
AYorld, sadly hardened by the cares and sorrows of life, did they 
fail to respond to the thoughts and emotions aroused by your 
presence with us. 

As the representative of the Pioneer element of California ; 
as the last Alcalde and first INIayor of her ancient capital ; as 
a leading journalist and distinguished Senator of the noble 
Golden State, we are glad and proud to do you all honor ; but 
the memories of sweet friendships, formed and cemented, amid 
the novel and inspiring scenes of our youth in California, when 
the heart was fresh and sincere, and " unspotted fi'om the 
world," require of us a greeting and welcome, as Avarm as that 
Avhich I uow give you, ou behalf of this Society. If I have 
failed to express, in fitting language, all that I feel on this occa- 
sion, or to convey to you, in glowing words, a most cordial wel- 
come, you must attribute it to the poverty of the brain, not 
the poverty of the heart. IMay God bless and prosper you all 
the daj's of your life ; may greater honors in the future await 
you, and may you ever find in the hearts of your friends in 
California and elsewhere, a corner as fresh and green, as that 
Avhich you find in our own to-night. [Great applause.] 

When ]Mr. Roach arose to respond, tears filled liis eyes 
and his voice was husky "svlth emotions lie tried hard to 
conceal. " Fellow-pioneers/' said he, " I have lived an 
active life in California, and I liave not often been so much 
taken by surprise as to lose my speech, but the (jJeneral has 
surprised me to that extent just now; lie has recalled 
memories and awakened old feelings in my heart that cheek 
my utterance. I see before me many of the men who as- 
sisted in making the State of California. I see the first 
editor, I see the old Collector. My mind wanders back to 
the time when we were all brothers together. 1 feel twenty- 



GENERAL BEALe's LETTER. 501 

seven years younger to-night. Gentlemen, you must excuse 
me until I can collect my thoughts and quell this emotion." 
And Mr. Roach sat down amid a storm of ajiplause that 
quite frightened the waiters, and made it appear that the 
guests were still hardy young pioneers instead of quite 
middle-aged and sedate old men. 

The Secretary, Mr. Francis D. Clark, next read many 
letters of regret. General Joe Hooker sent his greeting 
and his sympathy. General Sherman regretted tliat a 
recent visit to West Point made it impossible for him to 
leave his i)ost at this time. Colonel Burton, General Ed- 
ward F. Beale and Mark Twain likewise sent regrets. 

The following is General Beale's letter : 

Lafayette Squaee, 
Washington, D. C, June 17th, 1876. 

Francis D. Clark, Esq., Secretary of the Society of " The 
Associated Pioneers of the Territorial Days of California," New 
York — Dear Sir : — It is with much regret that I am comjiclled 
to deny myself the pleasure of meeting you at the liead-quarters 
of our Society, on tlie 19th, to honor the return to the East, 
after so prolonged an absence, of the Hon. Philip A. Poach. 

The high respect I have for Mr. Roach, his eminent services 
to the State we all love so much, and his honorable career 
during so many years' residence in California, all combine to 
render my regret at not being able to attend the more keen. I 
have had the honor, pleasure and satisfaction of JMr. Roach's 
acquaintance for very many years and, although I do not agi-ee 
with him in political sentiment, I believe there is no purer or 
more patriotic citizen on the Pacific coast, and I think we can 
well honor him wlio has so long ajid so ably stood as one of the 
best representative men of dear old California. 

With great respect, your friend and obedient servant, 

E. F. Bkale. 

A letter was also read from Samuel C. Upliam, of Phila- 
delphia, extending an offer from that gentleman to write 
an appropriate isong to the air of " Auld Lang Syne/' to be 
29 -- 



502 MEMBERS AND GUESTS. 

sung at the grand re-union of Californians, which is to be 
hekl at l*hiladel])hia on the 9th of September next, which 
offer was received with a})plause. After this, .speeches fol- 
lowed fast and furious, Mv. E. C. Kemble, an early Cali- 
foruiau editor, one of the founders of the Alfa California, 
made one of some length, in which he referred to a thousand 
things dear to the memory of his listeners, anecdotes of 
"Bob" Somple, who thought " California was governed too 
much," and of old " Bob" Parker, sending the table off in 
roars of laughter, and others of a different kiiul, exciting 
tenderer emotions. 

At one end of the room hung the old ]>ionecr banner, 
and until late at night the gentlemen sat at the table gazing 
upon tlic emblematic bear, telling tales of long ago and 
discussing the present and future prosperity of the " land 
of gold." Among the guests were Mr. John Sickels, 
Mr. ^y. B. Farwell, General Thomas D. Johns, John A. 
Godfrey, O. H. Picrson, W. M. Walton, Colonel James E. 
Nuttman, John J. Hager, General James F. Curtis, E. C. 
Kemble, Hon. J. Sherwood, J. H. Butler, H. B. Hawkins, 
Hon. Beverly C. Sanders, Benjamin AV. Jenness, E. W. 
Crowell, John Gault, Robert A\\ Dowling, Alfred T. 
Goodell, and other '49ers. 

Later in the evening, Mr. Roach was again called to his 
feet in response to some remarks made by gentlemen pre- 
sent, who had referred to the fact that, notwithstanding 
INIr. Roach was a bachelor, he had always been the cham- 
pion of the female sex, and had fought hard in the legisla- 
tive halls of California to insure to them all just and 
womanly rights, and that as far back as 1852 he had been 
the author and advocate of a law, still in force in the 
Golden State, permitting women to transact business in 
their own name, and to enjoy the fruit of their industry ; 
the law protecting them against the abuse or extravagance 
of dissolute husbands, and that durino; the jiast winter, as 
Senator from San Francisco, he had obtained the juissage 



HON. BEVERLY C. SANDEES. 503 

of a law punishing wife-beating with the lash. The re- 
sponse of Mr. Roach was listened to with marked attention, 
and when he again resumed his seat, the very walls re- 
sounded with applause. 

Hon. Beverly C. Sanders, who M^as one of the early 
Collectors of the port of San Francisco, arose in response 
to the call of the company, and made some very humorous 
remarks. Among other things, he said that when he was 
an officer of the government, the officers, as a general rule, 
considered that the money which came into their hands 
belonged to the government, but they had arrived at a 
much higher degree of intelligence since that time. 

The banquet was an enjoyable affair, and will long be 
remembered by the '49ers of the Atlantic coast. 



DEDICATION OF THE LICK MONUMENT AT 
FREDERICKSBURG, PA. 



En route to Fredericksburg — Reminiscences of the town— Genealoc-y 
of the Lick family — The house in which James Lick was born — 
The old graveyard — Cedar Hill Cemetery — Uuvoiliug and dedica- 
tion of the monument — Addresses by Colonel J. P. S. Gobin, of 
Lebanon, and Samuel C. Upham, of Philadelphia — Knights Tem- 
plar inauguration ceremonies. 

The following report of the dedication of the Lick 
ISIonument was prepared expressly for, and published 
originally in. The Pioneer, at San Joso, California : 

Philadelphia, April 25th, 1878. 
Friexd Muegottex : — Presuming that an account of 
the unveiling and dedication of the Lick Monument, at 
Fredericksburg, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, on the 
22d instant, will interest the readers of The Pioneer, I will 
endeavor to perform the task as briefly as possible. I left 
Philadelphia on Saturday last, 20th instant, at half-past 
three o'clock, P. M., on the Reading Raih-oad, and at Leb- 
anon took the Tremont branch road for Jonestown, 7 miles 
distant, where I arrived at eight o'clock the same evening, 
and remained over night. Jonestown, situated on both 
sides of Swatara Creek, is a thrifty inland town, con- 
sisting of a single street and a population of about eight 
hundred inhabitants. After breakfast on the following 
(Sunday) morning, I engaged a team, and with Mr. Simon 
Desh as guide and interpreter, started for Fredericksburg, 
about 4 miles distant, and 85 miles from Philadelphia, 
where I arrived at about ten o'clock, A. M. A patois, 

(504) 



FREDERICKSBUEG. 505 

called by the natives " Pennsylvania Dutch," is spoken 
almost exclusively in Lebanon and Berks Counties, and an 
interpreter is required by any one not familiar with that 
language. The scenery en route was magnificent. Large 
fields of waving grain gladdened the eye in every direction, 
and the apple and pear-blossoms perfumed the air with 
their fragrance. The land between Jonestown and Frede- 
ricksburg is mostly owned by the Dnnkards, a thrifty but 
parsimonious sect. INIr. Desh, my companion, informed 
me that whenever a coin of the realm came into their pos- 
session, they squeezed it so tightly that the Bird of Free- 
dom invariably shrieked.* Whatever may be said of their 
religious and social habits, they certainly own the most 
magnificent farms I have ever seen, and their double- 
banked Swiss barns and other outbuildings are in keeping 
with their farms. In fict, the entire Lebanon Valley, 60 
miles in length by 20 miles in breadth, is the garden-spot 
of the Keystone State. 

Fredericksburg, formerly Stumptown, is one of the 
oldest towns in the Lebanon Valley, and was founded by 
Frederick Stump, a pioneer and Indian-fighter, in 1755. 
In after years, as the town increased in wealth and popu- 
lation, the old burghers dropped the name of Stumptown 
and dignified it with the title of Fredericksburg, derived 
from Stump's Christian name. The old villagers don't 
like to be reminded of the former name of their town. If 
any one desires to know whether " cuss words " are obsolete, 
let him say Stumptown to a Fredericksburger. It is said 
of Stump, that while on a hunting expedition in the vicinity 
of Harrisburg, he amused himself one morning by slaying, 
single-handed, ten drunken Indians, whose bodies he shoved 

* Since the above was written, I have been informed by Mr. John H. 
Lick, that on Dedication day, Mr. Gible, living on the Jonestown road, 
and Mr Oberholtzer, residing in the eastern part of the town, dined one 
hundred and fifty persons, for wliich they declined to receive any remu- 
neration ; thus verifying the aphorism, that the devil is not as black as 
he is sometimes painted. 



506 THE STREETS AND THE HOUSES. 

under the ice and they floated down the Susquehanna River 
to their happy hunting-grounds. 

Fredericksburg contains at this time nine luindred in- 
habitants, and, lilvC Jonestown, is surrounded by a rich 
farming country. Several of its citizens count their wealth 
by hundreds of thousands of dollars. The brothers J. W. 
and E. Grove, who own the largest ironworks in Pennsyl- 
vania, located at Danville, are natives of this town, and I 
visited them at their spacious mansion on its> southern out- 
skirts. The Groves own one of the largest, if not the very 
largest, farm in Lebanon County. It is about a mile in 
width and extends several miles in length. They are 
millionaires. John H. Lick, before the death of his father, 
was reported to be worth $25,000, made in the mercantile 
business in this quaint old town. 

Tlie town is mostly built on ]\Iain or Market Street, a 
quarter of a mile in length, running east and west, in 
the centre of which there is a small square or market-place. 
Centre, Mechanic and Pincgrove Streets cross INIarket Street 
at right angles, running north and south. The buildings 
are mostly frame, with an occasional brick front blushing 
between its whitCAvashed neighbors, and forming an agree- 
able contrast. At the south-west corner of Market and 
Pincgrove Streets, is a large plot of ground surrounded on 
two sides by horse-chestnut trees with whitewashed trunks, 
owucd by John IT. Lick. 

About midway, and on the north side of Market Square, 
stands a two-story red frame house, somewhat rickety with 
age, in which James Lick's father kept a hotel some fifty 
years ago. Against the small glass window over the front 
door is " J. Lick," formed of rudely-carved letters. Haifa 
square east of the old Lick Hotel, on the same side of the 
street, stands a recently-built two-story brick building, on 
the site of the house in which the mother of James Lick 
died in the year 1812. The old house was destroyed by a 
conflagration in the year 1827, in which more than one- 




From a Photo Ijy Bracllcv k Kulurson. Ran Francisco. 




Z^^T^tJ^ 




^^^ 



£07 



JAMES lick's lUllTIirLACE. 509 

]i:iir of llu; building's ol' (Ik; town were l)iii'ii('(l. Jnincs 
l^ick was born on tlit; 25th of Anj^ust, 17i)G, in a Jo^' or 
bUKdc-liousc, still standing, about two miles west of the vil- 
la<;e of Fredericksburg.* Some tea or fifteen yc^ai's sin(;e, 
Mr. lAvk wrote to one of his old fricsnds in Fredericks- 
burg, askuig if the old house iu which lie was born could 
be taken down and shipped to California. Jle said lie 
desired to show the people of the Golden Stalt; tli(; house 
in wiiich he was born. On examination, the logs of the 
old structure were found to be too much decayed for re- 
moval, and the project was abandoned. 

John Lick, father of James, was born on September 13th, 
17G5, in Montgomery County, Pa., and removcnl to l<'red- 
cricksburg, tlien Stumptown, m hen a young man. 1 Ic; was 
a carpenter and joiner l)y pr()f(;.ssion, and one of the most 
intrcnious workei's in wood in that section of the slate;. 
He married in J^'redericksburg, and both he and jiis wife 
died there. James inherited his father's mechanical talent. 
Their remains lie in the old Jleformed and Jjutherau 
graveyard, on the cast side of l^inegrove Street, on a slight 
eminence, commanding a fine view of the village. Their 
graves are some twenty feet apart, without headstones, eucih 
being inclosed by a plain iron railing, erected by their 
grandson, John 11. Ijick, in the year 18G7. 

During the afternoon, I made the ac(juaintanee of John 
Dcsh, a hale old man of seventy-eight years, who n(;ver 
enjoy(!d the luxury of a law-suit in his Hie. Ihisniokcjs 
and chews tobacco, and occasionally indulges in a glass of 
lager for his stoinac^li's sake. Jacob Wcaber, also agcd- 
sevcnty-(!ight years, is a chum of Desh, and I Ik; two old 



* Tlie houRe in which JamoH Lick was born, like tlic blrthi)lace of 
ITomcr, BceiiiH to be a mooted (iiie«tion. I iiave tlie authority of (ieor^o 
Jinitziuan, .John DchIi and Jacol) IJuclunoyer, ohJ residents of J''re(l- 
crickKburjif, for Htatiiij^ that .Limes Lick was i)orn in the old block-hoiisi-, 
two miles west of the villaj^e of Fredericksburg. John IT. Lick is of 
the opinion that his father was not horn in that house. Qulcu mbc? 



bio VISITS TO AND FRO. 

burghers are fast friends. Tlicy are the iiion whom the 
poet probably had in his mind's eye when he wrote — 

" Their hours in cheerful smohinrj flew, 
Nor envy nor ambition knew." 

James Lick visited Fredericksburg only once after his 
departure in the year 1819, and no one living in the old 
town at this time can say positively in what year he re- 
turned, but incline to the belief that it was in the year 
1832 — '^ thar or tharabouts." One old burgher informed 
me that he was loaded down with doubloons, which he car- 
ried in belts around his body. He came to Fredericks- 
burg with a horse and buggy, which on his departure, 
about two weeks after his arrival, he presented to his 
brother William. The horse died soon after; the buggy was 
then sold, and the proceeds, $100, were given to John II. 
Lick when he attained his majority. This amount repre- 
sented one-third of the capital with which he started busi- 
ness. His education was paid for by one of his uncles. 
Jacob Buchmoyer, a cordwainer, now in his seventy-eighth 
year, was an intimate friend and schoolmate of James Lick. 
I had, with the aid of an interpreter, a long talk with the 
old gentleman, who showed me a relic he had preserved 
many years and which he still treasures higldy. It Avas a 
piece of one of the leg-bones of the horse James Lick pre- 
sented to his brother William, on his visit to Fredericks- 
burg in the year 1832. 

John II. liick lived in Lebanon and Centre Counties from 
the time of his birth, June 30th, 1818, until he joined his 
paterfamilias, in California, in 1855. On his first visit to 
the Golden State, John remained with his father about three 
years. In about one year after his return to the old home- 
stead he again visited his father in California, avIio sent 
him on a tour in Europe ; after visiting Germany, 
France and England, he returned to California, where he 
remained with his father until August, 1871, when he re- 




I 



lick's genealogy. 513 

turned East, Avhoro lie remained until the death of his 
father, in the fall of 1870, when he again visited Califor- 
nia, "where he now resides. AVhen John received his 
father's summons from California, in 1852, he was en- 
gaged in mercantile business in his native to\vn, and 
ivplied that he could not dispose of his store and settle 
up his business without great pecuniary sacrifice. The 
following characteristic reply was soon afterward r(>oei\ed 
from the senior Lick : " If you canH sell your store, c/ice it 
awdy. Come at once. I have enough for both of us T^ It 
is perhaps needless to add that John went, but not until 
the summer of 1855. 

From tlie fall of 1859 until 1803, John had the entire 
supervision of his father's flour-mill, near Alviso. The net 
profits during those three years were $52,000. In conse- 
quence of ill-health, John returned East in the year 1803, 
and during his absence, owing to some trouble with his suc- 
cessor, his father closed the mill. In 18G8, the old gen- 
tleman offered to sell the property, which had cost him 
$500,000, for $250,000, but could not find a purchaser, 
and in the year 1872 he donated it to the "Tom Paine 
Society," of Boston. The Paiueites, finding that tluy had 
an elephant on their hands, sold the property to Pfister & 
"Waterman for $18,000, who converted it into a paper- 
mill. The sale of the mill displeased Mr. Lick very 
much. 

John H. Lick is highly respected by his fellow-townsmen, 
and his return from California will be hailed by them with 
exceeding great joy. I am indebted to Mr. George Brutz- 
man, of Fredericksburg, for the following genealogy of 
John, father of James, Lick's family : 

John Lick, father of James Lick, born September 13th, 
17G5, and died June 13th, 1831. 

James Lick, the eldest son, born August 25th, 1796, in 
Stumptowu, now Fredericksburg, Dauphin County, Pa. 
(Lebanon County, in which Fredericksburg is situated, was 



514 CEDAK HILL CEMETEEY. 

formerly a portion of Dauphin County.) Mr. Lick's spon- 
sor or godfather was John Gettcl. 

The second child was born July 25th, 1797. It died in 
infancy. 

John Lick, born May 24th, 1798, in Bethel ToAvnship, 
Dauphin County, Pa. The sponsors were Christian Long 
and Molly Gettel. 

Catharine Lick, born January 8th, 1800, in Bethel 
Township, Dauphin County, Pa. Catharine Licken was 
her godmother. 

Sarah Lick, born August 27th, 1 802, in Bethel Town- 
ship, Dauphin County, Pa. Sponsors, Conrad lleinoehl 
and wife. 

Jacob Lick, born January 25th, 1804. Baptized March 
1st, 1804. Sponsor, Jacob Weaber. 

Margretta Lick, born September 27th, 1806, and bap- 
tized on the Gth of the following March. Margretta AVeaber 
officiated as godmother. 

William liick, born February 11th, 180S, in Bethel 
Township, Lebanon County, Pa., and baptized April 16th, 
the same year, by the Rev. George Lochman. His spon- 
sors Avere his parents. 

Margretta Lick, born April 11th, 1816, in Bethel 
Township, Lebanon County, Pa. 

Cedar Hill Cemetery, in which the Lick Monument is 
erected, is situated on an elevated piece of ground, embrac- 
ing about four acres, about a quarter of a mile north-east 
of Market Square. William, brother of Jauies, was the 
projector of the cemetery. The land was purchased and 
inclosed in the year 1869. The first person buried in 
the cemetery Avas Daniel PI. Eisenliaur, September 20th, 
1869. Since that time, to April 22d, 1878, one hundred 
and sixty interments have been made in the cemetery. 
About one hundred feet west of the Lick Monument, in a 
plot of ground inclosed by a tasteful iron railing, lie 
the remains of William Lick. A plain obelisk of Italian 



THE LICK MONUMENT. 515 

marble, about ten feet in height, bears the following in- 
scription : 



WILLIAM LICK, 

BORN FEBRUARY IItH, 1808, 
DIED DECEMBER 21ST, 1872. 

Aged 64 years, 10 mo's, 10 days. 



The Lick Monument stands in the eastern section of the 
cemetery, in a commanding position, and its symmetrical 
shaft, surmounted by the Goddess of Liberty, resting her 
right hand on a shield and grasping with her left a par- 
tially-folded flag, can be seen for many miles. It stands 
on a secure foundation, composed of no less than sixty-five 
perches of stone laid in cement. The interior is solid brick 
work — ten thousand bricks being used to fill it up. The 
monument contains one hundred and fifteen pieces of Scotch 
granite, from the famed Aberdeen quarry, several of which 
weigh over two tons each, and its entire weight is one 
hundred and seventy-five tons. It also contains nine 
statues of Italian marble, the Goddess of Liberty being 
eight and a half feet in height. There are also four large 
urns of the same material. The contractor and sculptor, 
Mr. Robert Reid, of Montreal, Canada, shipped the monu- 
ment by rail to Jonestown, four miles distant from Fred- 
ericksburg, it was transported from that place to the 
cemetery by wagons and other vehicles, furnished by the 
farmers of the neighborhood. Three experts came with 
the monument, and were engaged about two months in its 
erection. The monument is sixteen feet square at its base, 
and its extreme height is thirty-five feet and six inches. 
At the four corners, a few feet above the base, stand- 
ing on projections or pedestals, are four life-size female 
figures, each holding a scroll, on which is engraved respec- 
tively the following appropriate Scriptural mottoes : At 
the south-east corner, " Blessed are the dead which die in 
the Lord ;" south-west corner, " He being dead, yet speak- 



516 



WILLIAM AND CATHARINE. 



ctli ;" north-east corner, " He givctli His beloved sleep ;" 
north-M'cst corner, " Blessed are they that do His com- 
mandments." On the sonth or front side, four feet above 
the base, is the word " Lick," in raised letters, six inches 
in length, with polished surface. In niches on each of 
its four sides, some twelve feet above the base, arc life-size 
statues of a Continental soldier in uniform, and Faith, 
Hope and Charity. Above the head of the soldier are the 
words " Valley Forge," in raised letters, with polished 
surface. On the four corners, two or three feet lower than 
the statues, stand four large and partially-draped nrns. 
On the south or front side, midway between the word 
" Lick " and the statue of the Continental soldier, is a 
tablet three by five feet, with polished surface, bearing the 
following inscription in gilt letters: 



COMMEMORATIVE 

of the services rendered by 

WILLIAM LICK, 

(Grandfather of James Lick,) 

AT VALLEY FORGE 

and in other struggles of the Revolutionary War 

for American Independence : 

Who died in Montgomery County, Pa., 

at the age of 

One Hundred and Four Years. 



There is a tablet of the same size on each of the three 
other sides. The one on the east side bears the following 
inscription : 



IN memory of 

CATHARINE LICK, 

(Sister of James Lick,) 

Who was born at Fredericksburg, Peuna., 

January 8th, 1800 ; 

Died at Manheim, Penna., 

April 10th, 1862. 




LICK MONUMENT, FREDERICKSBURG, PA. 



517 



JOHN, SAEAH AND JAMES. 519 

On the north side : 



IN MEMORY OF 

JOHN LICK, 

(Fatpier op James Lick,) 

Who was born September 13th, 1765 ; 

Died June 13th, 1831. 

Also in Memory of 

SARAH LICK, (His Wife,) 

AVho died at Fredericksburg, A. D., 1812, 

Aged Forty Years. 



On the west side 



THIS MONUMENT, ERECTED IN 187G, 
BY 

JAIMES LICK, 

WHO WAS BORN AT 
FREDERICKSBURG, PENNA., 

August 25th, 179G; 

Died, at San Francisco, California, 

October 1st, 1876. 



The monument was erected at a cost of $20,000, and as 
a work of art, reflects great credit iij^on the sculptor. 
For beauty of design and elegance of finish, it is un- 
equaled by any monument of its size in the United States, 
and the gentlemen composing the Lick Trust have shown 
excellent judgment and taste in their selection of a design 
which has been so skillfully and artistically executed by 
the contractor. 

During Sunday the wind blew a gale from tlic north-west, 
and Mr. Eeid was fearful that he would not be able to 
keep the monument covered until the time for unvcilin<>- 
arrived, but fortunately the wind went down with the set- 



520 THE DEDICATION CEREMONIES. 

ting sun, and ho rotireJ to his couch a haj>pv man. Mr. 
l\oid and myself stopped at the same liotel — " The Travel- 
er's Repose" — and occupied the stime room. A^'e retired 
early, and botbre jicrforming our evening devotions, put a 
little old Otard, furnished by Mr. R., where we thought it 
Mould do the most good. I slept soundly until midnight, 
Avhen a discordant fite and dilapidated kottlo-drum awoke 
the "whole town and rendered the remainder of the night 
perfectly hideous. My room-mate was uncharitable enough 
to Avish that the persistent fifer would blow his '' blarsted " 
head olf, antl your correspondent seconded the motion. 

At an early hour on Monday nmrning, the people from 
the adjacent towns commenced flocking into Fredericks- 
burg, and the old town was thoroughly awakened from its 
sleep of one hundred and fifty years. At noon there Avere 
over six thousand pereous present, and the two hotels, private 
residences and streets were filled to their utmost caixicity. 

The dedication ceremonies were under the supervision 
of a committee of citizens of Fredericksburg, with Colonel 
J. P. S. Gobin, of TA>banon, as chairman. Colonel Gobin 
was the head and front of the aftair, and most admirably 
dill he perform the duties intrusted to him. In addition 
to being chairman of the committee of arrangements, he 
was orator of the day, and also Commander of the Hermit 
Commandery, Knights Templar, of Lebanon. Chief Mar- 
shal, Pr. A. AV. Shultz, assisted! by Augustus Behney, J. 
Kcphart and I. J. W. Fox, formed the procession on Pine- 
grove Street, at one o'clock, P. ^I., in the following order: 

1. Coniniittoo of Rocoption. 

2. Connniltce of Arrangements. 

3. S. C. Upham, representative of "The Society of California Pio- 

noors,'' and Mr. Robert Reid, contr:ictor and sculptor of the 
monument. 

4. Perseverance Band, of Lebanon, Pa. 

5. Grand Lodge Otliccrs, Knights Templar; Grand Recorder, Chas. 

E. Meyer; Grand Treasurer, M. Richards Mucklo; Grand Pre- 
late, Rev. D. AVashburn. 



f 



AT THE CEMETERY. 521 

G. Hermit Commandery, No. 24, Knights Templar, 7G men, Adam 
Eii^o, Eminent Commander. 

7. Invited Guests. 

8. Fredericksburg Band. 

9. Tliirtcen girls dressed in white, with blue sashes and red ribbons, 

carrying a flag. 

10. Milkrsburg Band. 

11. Citizens, four abreast. 

12. Clioir, composed of twelve ladies and six gentlemen. 

13. Pinegrove Band. 

The procession marched down Phicgrovc Street to INIar- 
ket, down INIarkct to Centre, out Centre to l.(0cnist, down 
Locust to Mechanic, down Mechanic to INIarkct, up INIarkcfc 
to Pinegrove, and out Pinegrove to the cemetery. 

CEREMONIFS AT THE CEMETERY. 

1. Music. 

2. Prayer by the Kev. Daniel Washburn, Grand Prelate of the Knights 

Templar, of Pennsylvania. 

3. "Star Spangled Banner," by a choir of ladies and gentlemen. 

4. Address by Colonel J. P. S. Gobin, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania. 

5. Music. 

G. Address by Samuel C. Uphara, of Philadelphia, representative of 
"The Society of California Picneers." 

7. Dedication of Monument, by Hermit Commandery. 

8. Music. • 

9. Benediction, by Grand Prelate Washburn. 

At the conclusion of the music by the Perseverance Baud, 
the Kniglits were ordered to uncover, and Grand Prelate 
Washburn delivered, in a deep and sonorous voice, the 
following impressive and appropriate prayer : 

Almighty Lord and Saviour, before the mountains were 
brought forth, or ever the earth and the world were made. 
Thou art God from everlasting to everlasting. In Thy name 
we assemble, even the name of Iinmauucl, under the auspices 
of the Masonic Brotherhood of Knights Templar of Pennsyl- 
vania, to dedicate this monument of James Lick, with his 
ancestors and kindred. To Thee, O God, in whom we live, do 
we give thanks for our being, our reason, and all the faculties 
of our souls and bodies. We thank Thee for all the blcssino;s 



522 THE ORATION. 

of this haul of plenty, of liberty, aud of peace. We thank 
Thee that rising from this mountain site of our Keystone State 
is seen this splendid token of a perpetual Union extending un- 
broken from the Atlantic to the Pacific. With Faith, Hope 
and Charity, its defender stands aloft in grateful presence 
under the regis of triumphant Freedom. To Thee for the 
State, for the Church, for the family institution so potent in 
its beneficence, and the filial affection that in consequence has 
enshrined itself here in marble, we give thanks, and humbly 
pray their blessings upon all our generations. Be with us, O 
God of our fathers, this day aud ever. Bless everywhere our 
fraternity. Bless the President and Governor, and all in 
authority. Let the Gospel of our redemption shine unto all 
nations, and may as many as have received it live as becomes 
it. Bless the Avork of all Avho are here, making these valleys 
stand so thick Avith corn that they shall laugh and slug. And 
finally, our God of Peace who brought again from the dead 
our Lord Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, 
through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us all 
perfect to do Thy will, working in us that whicL is Avell 
pleasing in Thy sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory 
forever aud ever. Amen. 

At the eonclusicu of the prayer, the ''Star Spangled 
Banner" Avas rendered in fine style by the choir. Colonel 
J. P. S. Gobin, orator of the day, being introduced by 
Hon. r. M. Bacliman, delivered the following eloquent 
address : 

Friends and Fellow-Citizens: — The occasion of our 
assembling at this time and in this beautiful cemetery, is one 
fraught with more than ordinary interest. Kepresentative 
men from the fiir distant shores of the Pacific ; officials from 
our own and other States ; numbers of those wdio bear the 
banner of the cross, rendered innuortal' by the martial deeds 
of the Knights of the Temple of old, amid the sands of Syria — 
a vast concourse of our fellow-citizens from the surrounding 
country, have gathered to show their appreciation of the heart 



LOVE OF HOME. 523 

feeling evidenced by these ceremonies. And beautiful, grace- 
ful, enduring as is the monument that rises before us, and 
which we arc about to dedicate, it is but typical of the senti- 
ment which its erection illustrates. That sentiment is love of 
home — love of the spot which gave you birth, and Avith which 
every thought of your childhood's days are identified ; and 
above all, that holy, undying love for father and mother, for 
brother and sisters, for family ties and the old hearthstone, 
which time, with all its attendant vicissitudes, cannot obliterate 
or drive from the soul, but which, amid prosperity or adversity, 
is the green spot toward which the pilgrim's mind is ever 
directed. Aye, as each revolution of the grand cycle carries 
us nearer our ultimate goal, bringing with it increased age and 
additional responsibilities, it is the thought of those who gave 
us life, pcrhaj)s dwelling afar off in some distant clime, whose 
loved forms we have not beheld, save in our dreams, for many 
years, but whose images are impressed indelibly upon our 
hearts, that causes the blood to course more rapidly and all 
the better feelings of our nature make themselves manifest. 
Could we but look into the mind of him whose memory is to 
be commemorated by our ceremonies to-day, as, after many 
days of weary wanderings upon unknown seas, and amid 
storms and sunshine, he beheld accumulating around him the 
fruits of his industry, energy and genius, doubtless we would 
have beheld there a longing for you grand old. mountains, 
those green fields, the streets of your quiet, beautiful village, 
the familiar greeting of the friends of his boyhood, and more 
prominently than all others, the desire to fulfill to the utmost 
the Divine injunction, Honor thy father and mother. As the 
result of this we have the beautiful structure before us, and the 
interested concourse of people to witness its dedication. 

Another thouglit suggested, and which cannot fail to impress 
the most casual observer, is in the fact, that in the erection of 
this monument we have so striking an illustration of the won- 
derful growth of our nation, and what is susceptible of being 
done by a citizen within it, of energy, genius and pluck. In 
imagination, and passing before you as a i)anorama, you can 

behold the boy James Lick, the chikl in your village streets, 
30 



I 



524 GRANDFATHER AND FATHER OF JAMES LICK. 

gamboling amidst your fields, indulging in all tlic sports of 
merry boyhood's days. At an early age he sallies forth to test 
the world, to be the architect of his own future, and in the 
Golden State we behold him in his mature age, reaching out 
as it were into the old world for the products of their skill and 
art, with which to beautify and adorn the graves of those of his 
own blood. It is the greeting of the man in the young East 
to the boy in the older "West ; of the man of accumulated 
Avealth in California to the memory of the aspiring boy of the 
old Keystone State. 

From a work entitled " Representative Men of California," 
we learn some facts relative to him : 

James Lick was born in the village of Fredericksburg, 
within a short distance of where we are now assembled, on the 
25th of August, 1796, of German ancestry. His grandfather 
was one of that worthy race who found a home in the infant 
colonies, to be devoted to freedom, and soon, thereafter, upon 
the battle-field of the Revolution, proved his courage and pa- 
triotism. The sufferings of this aged veteran at Valley Forge 
evidently made a deep impression upon the young lad, as he 
listened to their recital — impressions Avhich were never effaced, 
and which we find, to-day, transferred to the monument upon 
which his name stands so prominent. The Continental soldier 
is before you as the representative of the acts of his ancestors 
in the days which tried men's souls. Near this historic ground — 
Norristown — the father of James Lick was born. He married, 
at an early day, a Miss Long, and emigrated to Fredericks- 
burg, the birthplace of James. His education was such as 
was taught in the small towns of the interior of that day — suf- 
ficiently meagre, none can doubt. We next find him work- 
ing as an organ-maker in Hanover, Pa., already exhibiting 
the enci-gy and desire for adventure which distinguished his 
after life. In 1819, he obtained employment in the establish- 
ment of Joseph Pliskey, a prominent piano manufacturer in 
Baltimore. While here he met a young man named Meyer, in 
search of employment, and between the two was formed a 
friendship which lasted through life. The lad ]\Ieyer, of 1819, 
is Conrad Meyer, of Philadelphia, to-day, the celebrated ])iano 



EAELY LIFE AND SUCCESS OF JAMES. 525 

manufacturer, who, while accumulating fame and fortune in 
Pennsylvania, never ceased to rejoice over the success of his 
friend in other and varied fields. In 1820, young Lick went 
to New York to go into business. The want of capital inter- 
fered with his success, and at the end of that year he joined an 
expedition to Buenos Ayres. As this country had hut recently 
become independent, it promised a grand future. Although 
earnestly solicited to accompany him, his friend Meyer re- 
fused, and Lick made the journey alone. For ten years in 
this new country, he followed his business, manufacturing 
pianos, and began to reap the reward of his industry. In 
1832, he surprised his friends by a visit to his native State, 
bringing with him $40,000 worth of valuable South American 
skins and hides. This return gave him for a moment a desire 
to remain, and he even rented a house on Eighth Street, in 
Philadelphia, with the intention of going into business in that 
city. His ardent temperament could not brook the quiet life 
this promised. His thoughts, doubtless, reverted to the free- 
dom and greater scope of action which the southern hemisphere 
afforded, and relinquishing his leased premises, he again sailed 
for South America. In a few months after arriving there he 
had settled his business in Buenos Ayres and sailed for Chili. 
In 1833, his home is in Valparaiso, and he is hard at work at 
his old trade, in addition to engaging in other veutui'es. In 1837, 
his restless spirit looked out toward other scenes of conquest in 
his line, and he selected Peru as the place of his future opera- 
tions. To determine was to act, and he at once repaired thither 
with all his worldly goods. Pursuing the even tenor of his 
ways, he is about given up for dead, when his friend Meyer re- 
ceived a package from him, containing some $1,400 in gold 
doubloons, and an order for the inside work or action for twelve 
upright pianos, which he wished forwarded to Lima, Peru. 
About this time, his attention was directed toward California, 
now coming into prominence, and after due consideration he 
determined to proceed to the new El Dorado to be. Influen- 
tial friends endeavored to dissuade him from this step. He was 
assured that the United States could not hold California ; that 
the inhabitants were a set of cut-throats, who would murder 



52G ARRIVAL IN CALIFORNIA. 

him for his money ; in short, that he was very well where he 
was and that it wonld be folly to go elsewhere. To this James 
Lick gave answer, that he knew the character of the American 
government and its people, and it was not in their nature to 
give up a country it had once laid hold of, and as for the other 
reasons, he had implicit confidence in his ability to take care 
of himself A new dithculty presented itself, however, the 
surmounting of which shows the character of the man. He 
had on hand a contract for a number of pianos, when his work- 
men suddenly left for California. To violate his word was not 
for a moment to be considered — his contract must be fulfilled — 
and he personally did the work, although it cost him two years 
of hard labor to perform it. His pianos finished, everything 
is converted into money at a great sacrifice, and he is possessed 
of S30,000 in gold doubloons. With this he sailed for Cali- 
fornia, iu the t«hip Lady Adams, arriving at San Francisco in 
the latter part of 1847. In the spring of 1848, San Fran- 
cisco contained barely a thousand inhabitants. It had just 
emerged from its pristine condition and primitive name of 
Yerba Buena, and was becoming, under American rule, a valu- 
able sea-port. Rumors of the discovery of gold filled the air, 
and tejis of thousands flocked into and flooded out of the new 
metropolis of the Pacific. The vast majority, irrespective of 
class, rushed to the mines ; the sagacious minority remained in 
the city. Among the latter was James Lick. His shrewd in- 
sight told him that n great city would arise on this peninsula ; 
it would be the inlet and the outlet, not only of the commerce of 
California, but eventually of the whole Northern Pacific coast. 
The sand-hills which stretched out from the coast, and the 
('/((f^xn-raZ-covered eminences, his prophetic vision converted 
into broad streets and avenues, lined with handsome and en- 
during structures. He foresaw the population streaming from 
every quarter of the globe to this focus of attraction ; the 
ships laden with the necessaries and luxuries of life, and he 
took his measures accordingly. Quietly and carefully he in- 
vested his money, sowing his gold broadcast over many a jnece 
of ground, the sellers jubilant ami exultant at the price he 
paid them. During 1848, he pursued this course. Keejiing 



HIS LANDS, HIS MILL, ETC. 527 

his own counsel, as was his wont, none knew tlie extent of his 
purchases, or tlic amount he paid for any of them. The usual 
contests over titles were encountered, and frequently he was 
compelled to enforce his rights through the persuasive elo- 
quence of leveled revolvers. Squatters would respect these 
arguments, and instances arc reported of their houses disap- 
pearing almost as rapidly as the tenants. The risk was great 
but he accepted it, and having planted his money in the 
ground, he serenely awaited the harvest. It came, and rapidly. 
As the city increased, in the heart were observed large vacant, 
unimproved lots, apparently forsaken, but Avhich the inquirer 
found belonged to James Lick. Meanwhile he branched off 
in other pursuits. In 1852, he purchased a property in San 
Jose, and had erected a mill, Avhich was probably never 
equaled in the world. The wood was of mahogany, and the 
machinery of the finest description. It cost him $200,000, 
and by some was regarded as a folly, but it turned out the 
finest flour in California, and Lick's brand commanded the 
market. Around the mill, with his own hands, he planted a 
splendid orchard of fruit trees, which in those early days was 
itself a fortune. During all this, he did not forget his handi- 
work, and in 1872, he addressed a characteristic letter to his 
old friend Meyer, discussing some of the peculiarities of piano 
making, and giving his own views as to their relative merits. 
The Lick House, in San Francisco, was another of his enter- 
prises. It covers nearly an entire block, and in the floor he 
displayed the knowledge Avhicli he had gathered while working 
at the bench. He composed it of many thousand pieces of 
inlaid wood, highly polished. 

When the fraternity of Free Masons wished to erect a tem- 
ple in San Francisco, they found the only site which would 
suit them belonged to James Lick, and was a part of the 
square upon which he designed to erect the Lick House. Of 
course it was not for sale. However, one of the brethren 
frankly approached him, and in a straightforward manner told 
him it was the only spot which suited them. The result was 
that the ground now covered by the handsome temple, in 
which our brethren of the Golden City greet their fraters from 



528 THE GKEAT PURPOSE OF HIS LIFE. 

abroad so cordially, was secured, and the Lick House was to 
that extent curtailed in its proportions. Those only who 
knew the man, could fully appreciate the sacrifice he made in 
this transaction. 

Although reluctant to sell, he was lavish in his gifts. The 
Pioneer Society, an organization which has so ably represented 
the State on different occasions, and over which he presided, 
received as a donation, the land ujion which their hall is situ- 
ated, and subsequently a larger and moi'e valuable property. 
The California Academy of Sciences received a lot of great 
value also, and erected their building upon it. 

But now he is approaching the sere and yellow leaf The 
years usually alloted to man, have long been passed, and he 
announces what was evidently the result of a life's purpose — a 
plan conceived in a spirit of philanthropy, and which only in- 
creased in magnitude in proportion as the means and power of 
the donor increased. Selecting seven trustees from among the 
distinguished of his fellow-citizens he ceded to them his im- 
mense property — the accumulations of an unusually success- 
ful life — for the benefit of his adopted State, and for other 
noble purposes. To enumerate these purposes were needless. 
Suflice it to say that the exquisite work of art before us, the 
granite and marble, the life-like statues and enduring pyramid, 
the grateful tribute to those he loved, form a part. 

Like our own Girard, the pervading aim or idea which at- 
tached to him during life, culminated in this act. It was the 
desire to benefit his kind. And now, having performed liis 
life mission, he gathered the drapery of his couch around him, 
and patiently awaited the summons to appear before the Eter- 
nal throne where all men are judged impartially. 

Around his eventful life, let us throw a halo of pleasant 
memories. He sleeps quietly in his narrow bed by the blue 
waters of the Pacific. May the flowers which spring so pleu. 
tiful in the Golden State of his adoption, bloom upon his grave, 
winter and summer, and may we all, in the further perform- 
ance of our duties, as we dedicate his work, and expose for all 
time to God's sunshine and storms, this monument to his mem- 
ory, say as a requiem : 



ME. upham's address. 529 

"Farewell! the early dews that fall 

Upon thy grass-grown bed, 
Are like the thoughts that now recall 

Thine image of the dead. 
A blessing hallows thy dark cell — 
I will not stay to weep — Farewell." 

Mr. Samuel C. Upham, of Philadelphia, an Argonaut 
of '49, being introduced by the Chairman, spoke as follows: 

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: — I appear 
before you under peculiar and somewhat embarrassing cir- 
cumstances. The Hon. John S. Hittell, Historian of " The 
Society of California Pioneers," selected to represent that 
Society on this occasion, finds it impossible to be with you to- 
day, and at the urgent request of the Hon. Peter Dean, Presi- 
dent of the Society, and of Mr. Francis D. Clark, Secretary 
of " The Associated Pioneers of the Territorial Days of Califor- 
nia," of which Society I have the honor to be a member, I 
have, at a few hours' notice, consented to act as the representa- 
tive of our parent Society in San Francisco. The following 
letter will more fully explain the matter : 

The Society of California Pioneers, 
808 Montgomery Street, 
San Francisco, Cal., April 10th, 1878. J 
Francis D. Clark, Secretary Pioneers, etc., New York — 
Dear Sir : — You are aware that the Lick Monument, at Fred- 
ericksburg, Pa., is finished, and will be dedicated on the 22d 
inst., and that the Hon. John S. Hittell, the Historian of this 
Society, was selected to represent the Pioneers on that occa- 
sion. To-day Mr. Hittell has informed me that he cannot 
leave until the 17th inst. It will, therefore, be impossible for 
him to participate in the dedication ceremonies on the 22d. 
Under these circumstances, Mr. Dean, our President, has re- 
quested me to ask you if you will not do something toward 
having the Pioneers represented on that day. He desires me 
to ask if there are not some of your members who will take a 
run over to Fredericksburg and represent the Pioneers and 
assist in the ceremonies upon that interesting occasion. If 



530 JAMES LICK S MUNIFICENCE. 

you can do anything in this matter, INIr. Dean will feel under 
many obligations, and the Pioneers also. 

Very truly, A. C. Bradford, 

Sec'y Society Cal. Pioneers. 

As your orator has so ably and eloquently portrayed the life 
and services of the noble man whoso memory we delight to 
honor, my remarks Avill be brief 

In the year 1819, .a young man, in the vigor of manhood, 
and in whose lexicon there was no such word as fail, left his 
boyhood's home in this beautiful valley, and the endearing 
associations of the old hearthstone, to seek employment in one 
of our large cities. He obtained a situation in a piano manu- 
factory in Baltimore, and a year later started in the same 
business for himself in the city of New York, but failing to 
succeed for want of capital, went soon after to Buenos Ayres, 
and then to Valparaiso, where he devoted himself to his busi- 
ness of piano-making for four years. He then visited different 
places in Peru, remaining in that country eleven years. Mr. 
Lick arrived in California in the year 1847, with about 
$30,000, which he invested in real estate in San Francisco and 
vicinity, and its rapid advance in value, caused by the dis- 
covery of gold at Sutter's Mill, in that State, in the month of 
January, 1848, and the large emigration thither, soon made 
him a second Croesus. His great wealth did not dry up the 
fountains of his noble, generous heart, Avhich was ever suscepti- 
ble to the emotions of symjDathy for his fellow-men. 

In the year 1874, he placed his entire property in the hands 
of seven trustees, to be devoted to public and charitable \mY- 
poses. In the spring of 1875, a year previous to his death, the 
bequests, aggregating several millions of dollars, were changed 
in some respects. To the " Academy of Natural Sciences," and 
to " The Society of California Pioneers," which latter I have 
the honor to represent, and whose honored President Mr. Lick 
was at the time of his decease, in the fall of 1876, he bequeathed 
a one-hundred va7-a lot, at the corner of Fourth and INIarket 
Streets, in the city of San Francisco, and also the residue of 
his vast estate, to be equally divided between the two Societies 



LETTEKS BEAD. 531 

after his various legacies had been paid. For this munificent 
bequest to " The Society of California Pioneers," and for his 
other benefactions, we honor his memory, and our children and 
our children's children shall in after years rise up and call him 
blessed. Among his many bequests he did not forget the far- 
off home of his childhood, and the loved ones -whose dust was 
mingling with the soil of the old Keystone State ; and we are 
assembled on this beautiful April day to unveil and dedicate 
the sculptured marble, erected at his request to the memory 
of his devoted mother and father, loving sister and honoi-ed 
grandfather. 

The mortal remains of the great benefactor whose memory 
we honor to-day, lie mingling with the dust of that far-off land 
he loved so well, and which is so dear to the heart of every 
true Californian — the land where 

" The vine and the fig-tree are laden with fruit, 
And the breezes blow soft as tones of the lute." 

There, in that beautiful, silent City of the Dead, near the 
portals of the Golden Gate, with the roar of the waves of the 
mighty Pacific ever singing his requiem, he shall lie until the 
final day, when earth and ocean shall give up their dead, and 
this globe shall dissolve with fervent heat and leave not a 
rack behind. 

At the conclusion of Mr. Upham's address, the following 
letters were read by a member of the Committee of Ar- 
rangements : 

Office of The James Lick Trust, 

San Francisco, April 12tli, 1878. 
Colonel J. P, S. Gobin, Chairman Committee of Arrange- 
ments Dedication of Lick Monument, Lebanon, Pa. — Dear 
Sir : — I am instructed to say that it is a matter of great satis- 
faction to the Trustees of The James Lick Trust to know that 
the people of Mr. Lick's old home have shown so much in- 
terest in the monument that he has erected to the memory of 
his family, and that they have made such appropriate arrange- 
ments tq honor its dedication. 



532 MASONIC CEREMONIES. 

It was hoped tliat one of the Trustees, at least, might he ahlc 
to attend the ceremonies, hut circumstances have ohtained 
Avhich prevent all of them that pleasure. 

They have instructed me to express to you, sir, their sincere 
appreciation of the sentiment vhich actuates your people in 
recognizing, through the ceremonies you propose, the honorable 
distinction deserved by a man Avho has devoted all of a large 
fortune to the noble purpose of benefiting his fellow-men. 

I have the honor to be, sir, very respecti'ully, yours, 

PIenky E. ]\Iatiiews, 
Secretary of The James Lick Trust. 

By order of the Trustees of The James Lick Trust. 

Alta California Office, "I 
San Fkancisco, April 9th, 1878. j 
Colonel J. P. S. Gobin — Dear Sir : — I regret, on my ac- 
count as well as that of the Society of California Pioneers, 
which I was to represent, that circumstances render it impossi- 
ble for me to reach Lebanon before the 2:"!d inst. 

With respect, John S. Hittell. 

Executive Chamber, | 
Harrisburg, Pa., April 18th, 1878. j 
Dear Colonel : — I regret very sincerely that I am uuable 
to accept your very kind invitation to attend ceremonies at- 
tending the dedication of monument at Fredericksburg, Leba- 
non County, on Monday next. 

Yours, very truly, J. F. Hartranft. 

Adam Rise, Eminent Commander, then ordered the 
Hermit Coramandcry to form in a hollow square around 
the monument. Buglers were stationed in the roar of the 
lines — one each to the North, South, East and A\'est. One 
Sir Knight was placed on each side of the monument, the 
covering of the statues being so arranged tliatat tlie proper 
signal — a sound of the trumpet — one pull would unveil 
each side. The E. C. then announced : 

In pursuance of the duty assumed by Hermit Commandery, 
No. 24, Knights Templar, of Pennsylvania, and by the au- 



MASONIC CEREMONIES. 533 

tliority of the Right Eminent, the Grand Commander of Penn- 
sylvania, we have assembled to dedicate this monument with 
Knightly honors. 

The C. G. commanded — " Present swords." 
The E. C. asked—" Sir Knight, is it well in the East?" 
The Sir Knight, John Matthes, stationed on the East, 
replied : 

" The sunbeams from the eastern sky, 
Flash from yon blocks exalted high. 
And on their polished fronts proclaim, 
Our worthy brother's widespread fame." 

E. C— "Sir Knight, is it well in the West?" 

The Sir Knight, Simon G. Boltz, stationed on the West, 

replied : 

" The chastened sun adown the West, 
Speaks the same voice and sinks to rest ; 
No sad defect, no flaw to shame 
Our worthy brother's lofty fame." 

E. C.— " Sir Knight, is it well in the South ?" 

The Sir Knight, C. H. Shank, stationed on the South, 

replied : 

" Glowing beneath the fervid noon. 
Yon granite dares the southern sun ; 
Yet tells that wall of fervid flame. 
Our worthy brother's honest fame." 

E. C— Sir Knight, is it well in the North ?" 

The Sir Knight, P. L. Zimmerman, stationed on the North, 

replied : 

" Perfect in line, exact in square, 
The works of all our craftsmen are ; 
They will to coming time proclaim 
Our brother's worthy, well-earned fame." 

E. C. — " Sir Knights, our Warder will make proclamation." 

Warder, C. 11. Kil linger, announced: "I am directed to 

proclaim, and do proclaim, that the monument of our deceased 

brother, James Lick, is now dedicated to the uses designed, 

and to the memory of those whose names are inscribed thereon. 



534 DEDICATORY PRAYER. 

This proclamation I make to the East, to the "West, to tlie 
South, and to the North. Due notice being given, let all 
govern themselves accordingly." 

When the Warder pronounced the Mord East, the bugler 
on the eastern side gave one blast of his trumpet, and the 
Knight uncovered that side of the monument. When the 
word West was pronounced by the Warder, the bugler on 
the Avestern side gave two blasts of his trumpet, and the 
Knight stationed there uncovered that side of the monu- 
ment. Three blasts of the trumpet from the bugler sta- 
tioned on the southern side was the signal to uncover that 
])ortion of the monument. As the word North was ])ro- 
claimed bv the Warder, a general salute of all tlie buglers 
was the signal for uncovering the northern side and the 
statue of the Goddess of Liberty on top of the monument. 

C. G.— " Carry swords." 

E. C. — " Uncover, Sir Knights. Our Prelate, Avill you lead 
in our devotions ?" 

PRELATE W. G. WARD's DEDICATORY PRAYER. 

O Thou Supreme Architect of the Universe, in Thy name 
have we assembled upon this day, anil we lift up our hands 
and hearts unto Thee, our Creator and Father. Deign to 
look upon us, the unworthy suppliants of Thy iavor. Thou 
hast taught us to look unto Thee in all the undertakings of 
life; to count upon Thy help in every laudable enterprise. 
We invoke Thy blessing upon the work of our hands this day. 

O Thou God of our Fathers, remember us as Knights Tem- 
plar, who have been called to the ])orformance of the important 
duties of unveiling this monument and doilicating it to the 
uses for which it is designed. May it not only be a monument 
to perpetuate the memories of those whose names are inscribed 
thereon, and whose bones lie mouldering under the clod in the 
valley ; but may it be an innnutable memorial to remind every 
visitor to this sacred spot, that 



DOXOLOGY AND BENEDICTION. 535 

"Honor and fame from no condition rise, 
Act well your part, there all your honor lies." 

As Templars, may we hero learn a lesson and fi'om it receive 
Wisdom from ou lii^h in all our doings, Strength of mind in 
all our difficulties, and the lieauty of harmony and holincjss in 
all our communications and woi'k. Let Faith bo the founda- 
tion of our Hope, and Charity the fruit of our obedienc^e to 
Thy revealed will. As we display the Standard of the Cross, 
may we follow the symbolic banner, whose inscription, "In 
hoc sirjno viiices," should animate us all to wield our swords 
manfully in the cause in which we have enlisted. 

Grant, Heaveidy Father, that we may so conduct ourselves 
during our earthly pilgrimage, that at its close wo may be 
found worthy, through the merits of Ilim who has gone before 
us, to enter that Asylum of rest which He has prcjiarcd for all 
those who put their trust in Ilim. 

And unto Thee, the only living and true God, wo will 
ascribe power, and majesty, and dominion, now and evermon!. 
Amen and amen. 

E. C— " Cover." 
Music— "Old Hundred." 

The following benediction was then pronounced by the 
Rev. Daniel Washburn, Grand Prelate of Pennsylvania : 

Praise God from whom all blcRaingH flow. 
Praise Him all creatures here below. 
Praise him above, angelic host, 
Praise Father, Bon and Holy Ghost. 

The Lord bless us and keep us ; the Lord mercifully with 
His favor look upon us and be gracious unto us ; the Lord lift 
up His countenance upon us, and give us peace both now and 
evermore. 

The procession again formed, marched into town and 
was dismissed in Market Square, at half-past three o'clock, 
P. M. 

Among the prominent persons present were ex-Senator 



536 PKOMINENT PERSONS PRESENT. 

Simon Cameron, State Superintendent Wickersliam, G. 
Dawson Coleman, Senator INIcily, William Caldcr, of Ilar- 
risburg;, ITonry S. Eckcrt, of Reading;, Grand Recorder C. 
E. ]\Icyer and Grand Treasurer M. Richards Muckle, K. 
T., of Philadelphia. 

Throug-li the kindness of Mr. Jonathan See, of Phila- 
delphia, who invited me to occu^iy a part of his scat in a 
crowded vehicle, I was enabled to reach Jonestown in time 
to take the 4.40 P. M. train for Philadelphia, where I 
arrived at nine o'clock same evening, wayworn and weary. 

In conclusion, I desire to return thanks to the following 
gentlemen for courtesies extended to me during my brief 
visit to Fredericksburg : Colonel J. P. S. Gobin, Grand 
Prelate Daniel AVashburn, Dr. A. W. Shultz, Levi Shif- 
fler, Hon. F. INI. Baehman, George Brutzman, Simon and 
John Dc-rh, and several Sir Knights whose names I cannot 
call to mind. 

Au revoir, 

Samuel C. Upiiam. 



VISIT OF THE "KING'S ORPHAN"* TO CALI- 
FORNIA IN THE YEAR 1843. 



Upper California — Its climate, agricultural and mineral resources — 
Gold and silver discovered in 1843— Fort and port of San Fran- 
cisco — Military barracks of San Francisco — An Indian feast — So- 
noma — Colonel Vallejo— Yerba Buena— New Helvetia— Captain 
Sutter— Russian fort at Bodega— Messrs. Sinclair and Grymes. 

The following sketch, alluded to on page 470, has been 
compiled from the manuscript of the " King's Orphan,'^ 
kindly placed in the hands of the author by Colonel T. B. 
Thorpe.f 

Upper California is geographically situated west of the 
United States, beyond the Rocky and other mountain 

* The "Orphan's" name was Mafa or Mass. 

t jlonel Thomas Bangs Thorpe, better known to the literary world 
as "Tom Owen the Bee Hunter,'' died in New York city on the morn- 
ing of September 20th, 1878, aged sixty-three years. Colonel Thorpe 
was in several respects a remarkable num. In addition to his fine lite- 
rary attainments, he was an amateur naturalist and an artist in oil colors 
of no nio.'in ability. His chcf-d'a-uvre, "Niagara Falls," was sold in 
London for !?5,000. He was an able journalist as wc 11 as a fluent and 
eloquent speaker. During the Mexican war, Colonel Tliorpe was first 
attached to the staff of General Worth, and afterward appointed aid to 
General Zachary Taylor. He is said to have been the first corres^wndent 
who wrote his descriptions from the battle-field, and bis letters published 
in a New Orleans journal added much to the fame of "Old Rough and 
Ready," a soubriquet given to him by the Coloml. He was also the 
author of the laconic order attributed to Old Zach — "A little more grape, 
Captain Bragg!" Colonel Thorpe, at the time of bis death, held a 
position in tlie Law Division of the New York Custom-Iiouse. Although 
not a member of "The Associated Pioneers of the Territorial Days of 
California," he was always a welcome guest at their re-unicns, and the 
decease of the "old man eloquent" has caused avoid in their circle 
which can never be filled. A delegation of the California Pioneers at- 
tended his funeral, and accompanied his remains to their last eartlily 
resting-place — Greenwood Cemetery. Peace to his manes/ 

" None knew him but to love him— 
None named liini but to praise." 

(537) 



538 PEECIOUS METALS ABUNDANT. 

ranges, between the tliirtj-seeond and forty-second degrees 
of north latitude; bounded on the south by Lower Cali- 
fornia, on the north by Indian territories and Oregon, and 
on the west by the Pacific Ocean. The extent of the 
country is 600 miles from north to south, and about 300 
miles from east to west, embracing an area of about 
200,000 square miles, being nearly twice as large as Great 
Britain and as large as the JSTew England and j\Iiddle 
States. 

The Cordilleras are of extraordinary elevation, there 
being peaks among them from ten to twenty thousand feet 
above the level of the sea, from -\\'hich they are seen at an 
immense distance. The higher mountains are almost des- 
titute of vegetation, except stunted trees and shrubs. In 
the valleys is found the richest soil, varying from a rich 
alluvial to a deep black vegetable loam, upon a strata of 
sand, gravel, clay and trap-rock. The hills are generally 
of a more loose and gravelly nature than the mountains, 
while some are composed entirely of basalt, slate and 
marble. The Californias are rich in minerals. Gold, 
silver, lead, oxide of iron, manganese and copper ore are 
met with throughout the country, the j^'^ccious metals being 
the mod abundant. 

Upper California is naturally divided into two great 
sections, the cultivated and the wild country. The former 
may be said to be that portion which lies along the Pacific, 
already populated to a considerable extent. The latter, or 
the Indian country, part of which is called the Talares or 
marshy plains, intersected by lakes and swamps, occupying 
a valley of 500 miles in extent, running north and south. 
The climate is variable, as is that of all mountainous 
countries, but the mean temperature of the country in the 
spring is QQ° ; summer, 70° ; autumn, 67°, and winter, 61°. 
Warmest month, 74° ; coldest, 48° Fahrenheit. 

The productions of the country are timber of the finest 
quality and all fruits and grains peculiar to the tropical 



FIRST VISIT TO SAN FRAISTCISCO. 541 

and tciin)erate zones ; among which are apples, pears, 
peaches, oranges, lemons, figs, plums, cherries, grapes and 
almost every tropical fruit, in tlie southern portion of the 
country. Wheat, rye, oats, barley, beans, peas, hemp, flax, 
tobacco, coffee, corn, Irish potatoes and sugar-cane. Vege- 
tables of all kinds can be raised in the greatest abundance, 
frequently two or three crops a year. Wormwood and 
wild mustard abound as weeds. Oats grow wild, and the 
cultivated grow to an enormous height. Wheat crops, 
sown in the fall, early the following year have yielded one 
hundred and fourteen busJiels to the acre. At the Mission 
of St. Joseph it was ascertained that the yield was one hun- 
dred and twenty bushels to the acre, and the spontaneous crop 
the folloiving year loas sixty bushels to the acre. The wheat 
of Taos has six distinct heads. Clover and the grasses are 
extraordinarily fine and productive. Indian flax grows 
wild all over the country, florscs, cattle, sheep and hogs 
thrive well, and are possessed in greater or less quantities 
by all the inhabitants, and are tended by herdsmen. 
***** * 

An opportunity occurring, I embarked on board a small 
trading schooner to pay a visit to the Mission of San 
Francisco, on the most splendid bay in all California, and 
surrounded by the richest country. A pleasant run of two 
days [from Monterey], brought me to the mouth of the 
bay, which is peculiar, and will always attract attention, 
both for its easy adaptation to defense at little cost and for 
its very picturesque appearance. The entrance to the bay 
is excellent, being fully a half mile wide. On the south 
side, rises a high, rocky })oint, on the top of wiiich arc 
the ruins of an old fort. On the north side, is a high and 
bold coast, at the foot of which are some perforated sand- 
stone rocks, that looked precisely as would the remnants of 
castles of which remained only their porticoes and archways. 
After you pass well into the bay, you meet with various 
small islands, or round bold rocks, one of which is known 
^1 



542 THE BAY AND POKT. 

as Bird's Island, from the vast quantities of the feathered 
tribe that make a home upon it. This island is most ad- 
mirably calculated for a light-house, or a fort, as it per- 
fectly commands the harbor, and could not have been 
better situated for the puri)oses named had it been placed 
there by a skillful engineer. Such is the entrance to Sau 
Francisco Bay, the best one on the Pacific coast, and not 
surpassed for beauty of surrounding country, for ease of 
defense, or safety of shipping at anchor, by any in the 
world. 

The port of San Francisco presents a very pleasant ap- 
pearance. It has a bold shore, and high hills for a back- 
ground. The main entrance to the bay, viewed from the 
ruins of the fort, looking out toward the sea, is most 
beautiful, bounded as it is on both sides by bold rocks, 
while its high precipice on which you stand, brings the 
waves of the ocean below you, and gives to shipping 
the appearance of a well-arranged panorama. The Mis- 
sion of San Francisco, as is generally the custom of the 
country, is situated in the interior, and, after leaving the 
schooner, I journeyed to it by land. At this mission I 
became acquainted with Colonel Vallejo, whose relatives I 
met with in Monterey. He is the commander on the 
frontier, and resides at Sonoma, on the north side (»f the 
bay. While at this place, the venerable Father Alviso, 
whose restoration to health, under my professional skill, had 
been so nnich credit to my reputation, visited me, having 
ridden from Santa Clara for that purpose, a distance of 
42 miles. Having made arrangements favorable to 
the visiting of the more northern portions of the bay of 
San Francisco, I declined Father Alviso's pressing invita- 
tion to visit Santa Clara for the time being, and promised 
to accept of his hospitality at some future period. 

I sailed, with most beautiful Aveathcr, u]> the magnificent 
bay, and toward evening entered a curious stream called 
the Devil's Creek; no doubt so named because, its mouth 



A FIRE AMID THE TULE. 545 

being lost in the low marsh, its channel is difficult to dis- 
cover. A gentleman having a ranch on this creek, had 
contracted with the owners of the schooner to deliver some 
lime, and he was on shore to show us the proper place to 
enter the creek. The Indians who formed the crew of the 
schooner, knew nothing about it, nor did they perceive a 
ranchman who was perched on a high hill in the back- 
ground, endeavoring also to point out the way. Unfor- 
tunately, the undergrowth of portions of the country was 
on fire, and a dense smoke clouded the atmosphere in some 
directions. After much delay and confusion, the ranch- 
man came on board the schooner to act as pilot, and 
brought us safely up a winding but beautiful creek. Wc 
were often so near to the land that the cattle, deer and 
antelopes could be seen flying before the devouring element. 
The flames finally reached the tide ruslies of the marshy 
places, and ran along the sides of the creek, making our 
passage dangerous and awful to look at, as we frequently 
appeared to be enveloped in the flames and in dense 
columns of steam and smoke. A favorable wind hurried 
us through this appropriately-named creek, or the schooner 
and its inmates might have been consumed. It must have 
presented an extraordinary spectacle, as our little scliooner 
disappeared in a sheet of fire, and then emerged beyond it 
unharmed by the ordeal ; a scene entirely harmonious with 
the superstitious feelings that surrounded the creek and the 
traditions that are reported of Mount Diablo to which 
it leads. 

The schooner came to anchor in a beautiful bend in the 
creek, and as night set in the fire exhibited one of the most 
singular sights I ever witnessed. The larger brush, which 
had now become ignited, sent up long tongues of forked 
flames behind the green canopy of willows and the moving 
branches of the trees. The effect was as if myriads of 
living creatures were struggling in the flames, and the illu- 
sion was horribly carried out by the howling of wolves, and 



546 MOUNT DIABLO. 

])ears, and other wild animals that resounded in the con- 
fusion of the crackling and falling trees. 

To occupy the time consumed by the delay of loading 
the schooner, I Avent up to the original ]\Iount Diablo in 
search of fresh water. I found this celebrated place a small 
eminence, overgrown with beautiful billows and other 
trees, that were nourished by a gurgling stream of water 
that flowed at their roots. It is said that the persons who 
first discovered this place camped by the running water, 
and at nightfall they were saluted by hideous noises and 
lamentations, mingled with frightful groans, and the place 
thus got a bad name. One family, possessed of more than 
common intelligence, many years ago, built a house, now 
in ruins, on this beautiful eminence, and stocked the sur- 
rounding country with cattle. 

From policy, no doubt, this family kept up the " hob- 
gobblin " stories and circulated new ones, and they were 
thereby enabled to hold sole jiossession of the surrounding 
country. At length, in an incursion of a hostile tribe of 
Indians from the mountains, this family was murdered, 
their settlement robbed of its wealth, the Indians escaping 
without detection. This atrocity confirmed the stories so 
much circulated about it, and as a consequence the country, 
until quite recently, has been entirely deserted. 

To extend my excursions, I procured an easy-riding 
horse, and after having examined the limekilns, I rambled 
about the country quite alone, and, as is customary with 
me, searching for minerals and rare plants, examining the 
direction of the hills and their geological formations. In 
the course of my ride I ascended to a considerable dis- 
tance up the side of the mountain, known by the Califor- 
nians and Indians as oNIount de Barbonos. This mountiiin, 
although not more than sixteen hundred feet above the 
level of the sea, is so situated in regard to the surrounding 
country, that it can be seen further at sea than those of 
much higher elevation. 



INDIAN FIRE SIGNALS. 547 

"While climbing the steep sides of this mountain, the sun 
at times almost disappeared amongst the thick smoke, yet 
tinged the distant forest and cliffs with a most singular 
light. My hopes of obtaining any specimens for my herba- 
rium were vain, as all the delicate plants that had escaped 
the fire were destroyed for my use by the heated air and 
smoke. I therefore paid more particular attention to the 
geological character of the mountain. 

De Barbones is similar to all mountains of this country, 
being composed of soft sand-stone, quartz, with occasional 
exhibitions of lime-stone and porphyry, with the evidences 
of such minerals as manganese, oxide of iron and lead ore. 
But for the smoke I should have been able to sec, while 
up on the mountain, the celebrated rocks, or, as the Cana- 
dian hunters term them, the Butes, and many other moun- 
tain ranges. 

The contiuued repetition of these fires does great injury 
to the country. The undergrowth that springs up in the 
" burns " is always inferior to that growing where no fire 
has injured the soil. Very often the ground becomes 
loose, the fire penetrating deeply into it, following the 
roots ; then sets in the dry season, the winds blow off the 
soil and leave an arid desert where before was- luxurious 
vegetation. The causes of these fires are various. Some- 
times they are accidental, sometimes purposely made to 
destroy the insects tliat infest the undergrowth ; but, most 
often they are the work of the Indians, who gather grass- 
hoppers, a favorite food, by setting fire to the grass which 
they inhabit. They also kindle fires to place a barrier be- 
tween themselves and the whites. The Indians, too, use 
fires for the purpose of conveying information, and they 
may be said to form the telegraphic system of the red man. 
They are ingenious in the manner of forming their signals. 
A hole is dug in the ground, much wider at the bottom 
than at the top ; this hole is filled with combustibles and 
set on fire; once well ignited, the hole is nearly closed 



5-48 AN INDIAN FEEDING DEBAUCH. 

at the opening. By this means the smoke rises to a con- 
siderable height in a column, and thus information is 
conveyed to different tribes of the approach of an enemy 
or friend, or whether they are coming in large or small 
bodies. 

It was well-nigh sundown when I returned to the 
schooner, where I found the Indians busily engaged in 
skinning a yearling heifer, presented to them by the owner 
of the limekilns. The captain of the schooner had been 
well provided with game, among which I noticed the body 
of a laro-e elk. The Indians that formed the crew of the 
schooner, having been rather stinted in food for a day or 
two, determined on a feast, as a recompense for their pre- 
vious fasting. They presented on the occasion a spectacle 
I had never before witnessed of disgusting sensual indul- 
gence, the effect of which on their conduct struck me as 
being exceedingly strange. The meat of the heifer, most 
rudely cooked, was eaten in a voracious manner. After 
gorging themselves they would lie down and sleep for a 
while, and get up and eat again. They rej)eated this glut- 
tony until they actually lost their senses, and presented in 
their conduct all the phenomena peculiar to an over-indul- 
gence in spirituous liquors. They cried and laughed by 
turns, rolled upon the ground, dozed and then s])rang up 
in a state of delirium. The following morning, they M-ere 
all wretchedly sick, and had the expression peculiar to 
drunken men recovering their reason after a debauch. 

I should, perhaps, mention that the land on the northern 
side of the Devil's Creek is lower than is elsewhere to be 
seen, and is principally settled by California Creoles, many 
of whom are owners of immense herds of cattle. The soil 
is remarkably fruitful, suffering less than most other places 
from the drought, in consequence of its being ilat, and 
through it flow many small rivulets, that come down from 
the hills, communicating with handsome bayous that, in 
every direction, intersect the ranches, thus affording easy 



AN INTELLIGENT, THEIFTY INDIAN. 549 

transportation of their produce to the bay for sale or ex- 
portation. 

The schooner, after having been loaded, was navigated 
with great labor out of the creek, against a head-v/ind, but 
the moment we reached the bay the wind became favora- 
ble for our voyage, and we dashed over the bounding 
waves most merrily. It was a short run across the Bay of 
San Pablo, the northern arm of San Francisco Bay, and 
much resembling a lake. The schooner passed close to the 
western shore, through a narrow strait made by small 
islands, continuing on until it dropped anchor in the vi- 
cinity of Sonoma, the residence of Colonel Vall6jo, the 
commandant of the frontier. Sonoma is situated on a 
creek, three miles from its entrance into the bay. In this 
neighborhood are several settlements. San Gabriel, near 
the bay, is an old mission, at present nearly destroyed. 
The administrator of the place is a Mr. Murphy, formerly 
of Peru. He has accumulated by his industry a small 
property, consisting of horses and cattle. I savv^, as I 
passed on from San Gabriel, beautiful bottom-land with 
clumps of trees, mostly oak. An Indian chief is settled 
here, assisted by some of his tribe. His ranch is well laid 
out, and his house quite comfortable. This chief betrays 
much in tel licence and has a o-ood character. He was for- 
merly, with those about him, attached to the " Vallejo 
ranch." Fine deep creeks everywhere thread the country 
here, resembling in their appearance natural canals. They 
are invaluable to the agriculturist; for independent of the 
facilities of transportation, they seem to irrigate the land 
in the dry season of summer. The ranch of Colonel Val- 
lejo is situated upon an eminence ; is possessed of rich land, 
and portions of it are under fair cultivation. Having 
passed this estate, I came to the military station of Sonoma 
and the residence of Colonel Vallejo. 

Sonoma, originally called St. Solona, was by its founders 
laid out with great taste, and had the enterprise of the 



550 A MILL IDLE FOR WANT OF A YANKEE. 

l)0()pl(' built it up according to the first intent, it would have 
been one of the handsomest places in Caliibruia. The 
military barracks cxtiMid along under the high hills, run- 
ning })arallel Avith them, and in front is a magnificent 
Pl(i~.(i lor military parades, or ])laeG of resort and recrea- 
tion for <li(> eiti/iMis. At llie lime oC my arrival, a flag Avas 
Hying at llu; slalV, and a fe\v ragamullin soldiers were wan- 
dering about after the heels of a horse carrying the oflleer, 
who had just returned from a successful military expedi- 
tion, to which we will allude again. 

This station has a garrison nominally consisting of one 
Imndred and fifty men, rank and file, but never mustered 
more than thirty, including all the hangers-on and loafers 
generally, whose ])rofesscd business it is to ravage the coun- 
try to kecj) the Indians in check. Attached to the garri- 
son is a iVinr who is diguilled with the title of chaplain. 
Enough of agrii'ultural cMiter|)rise is exhibited about Sono- 
ma to show the capacity of the rich soil if it were in the 
hanils ol" an industrious population. Fruit was growing 
iinely, such as it was; wheat and corn gave evidence ofau 
abundant yield, though badly planted and tended, in every 
jiarticular. The stock looked better than any I had seen, 
the horses being particularly fine. In the vicinity of So- 
noma are hot si)rings, remarkably effective in curing i-heu- 
matic complaints. A water-mill for grinding wheat was 
standing on the creek that runs near the station, but the 
ignorant Indian who had it in charge could not manage the 
machinery, simple as it was, and there was not a Yankee 
about who could attend to it; so the mill stood still and 
the pei)ple satisfied themselves with ctiting frijofcs and 
meat, spending more time in one day in beating corn for 
toi'tlllaSf when they indulged in luxuries, than would have 
been necessary to have fixed the machinery of the mill. 

The conunamlant of Sonoma, at the time of my arrival, 
was sick anil needed medical attendance. He bears the 
character of a haughty man, being full of the Spaniard; 



A "successful expedition." 551 

but I found him affable and polite. I was struck with the 
militaiy reputation of this officer, it being so much like all 
those of Mexico holding distant commands. The story 
always is, tliat the commandant docs not falthfidly ap[)ly 
the revenues of the government, but appropriates them to 
his own use. The moral is, that no confidence exists amonsr 
the rulers themselves, and no character can be above sus- 
picion. There were very many things at Sonoma to destroy 
the pleasure of my visit, as they gave me a train of thoughts 
relative to the lawlessness of the people and tlic miserable 
government under which they live. As I hnve before 
stated, on my entrance to the Plaza in front of the bar- 
racks of this station, I beheld a military company just re- 
turning from what was termed a "successful expedition," 
and near by were the prisoners and the hapj^y conquerors. 
This expedition was commanded by the brother of Colonel 
Vallcjo and was so characteristic of similar ones in Califor- 
nia that I give its particulars. 

A small tribe of Indians, inhabiting an island in the 
northern part of the Bay of San Francisco, Avas reported to 
have threatened the settlers in their neighborhood that 
they would steal some of their cattle as payment for con- 
tributions denied them, for occupying their lands. Upon 
this shallow pretext. Colonel Vallcjo permitted his brother, 
who is a blood-thirsty man, to take the "soldiers" and a 
number of Indians and march against these poor people, who 
had made threats that they were going to steal cattle from 
people indebted to them for land. Advantage was taken 
when the Indian men were away from home fishing and 
gathering roots for subsistence. These armed men were 
very brave when they found no resistance but from old 
men, women and children, Avho were unconscious of any 
danger until an indiscriminate massacre commenced that 
spared nothing but the women for prisoners. Not con- 
tented with this barbarous shedding of blood, a poor negro 
blacksmith, a deserter from the United States sloop of war 



552 JUST, BUT SEVERE IRONY. 

Ci/ane, Avas found hidden away on this island, Avhom the 
commandor had brought out, ])onipou8ly proclaimed an 
enemy to Mexico, and then shot in the back, and only 
killed after repeated discharges of fire-arms. Having thus 
accomplished their work, the expedition made a hasty re- 
treat, fearing the Indians would gather en masse and de- 
stroy it, which would have been the case. 

These barbarous incursions into the Indian territory are 
often made from mere wantonness, or result from the In- 
dians being cheated out of their lands or the reward of 
their labor. As a consequence, they retaliate by stealing 
cattle ; never, as far as I could learn, by committing nuu'- 
der. Advantage is taken of these misunderstandings by 
the Californians, wlio, joining with the military force, scour 
the country, committing every cruelty that can be imagined. 
By a U'ise provision of the ISIexican government, as if to 
make barbarousncss a subject of reward, the officers receive 
as ranuncraiion for heading these expeditions the prisoners 
that fall into their hands; so, whenever a ranch requires 
laborers, you hear of some Indian outrage, followed by 
the taking of prisoners by the Californians. 

The prisoners I saw at Sonoma were mostly females and 
young chiUlren. They were huddled together like beasts, 
nearly naked, and seemed to create no sympathy. Some 
were good-looking. They maintained a sullen expression, 
and bore up under their misfortunes with a stoicism pecu- 
liar to the aboriginal inhabitants of this continent. The 
Indians belonging to Sonoma station, that had accompa- 
nied the expedition, seemed to have revived within them, 
by the shedding of blood, all the bad traits of their savage 
nature. They celebrated, through the whole night of my 
arrival, their victory with dances and songs. They painted 
their bodies coarsely, and showed less variety and spirit in 
all they did than you will meet with among the real savages, 
who have not, like most of the California Indians, been, by 
years of degradation, deprived of their original character. 



A VISIT TO NEW HELVETIA. 555 

After a visit of some clays at Sonoma, visiting most of 
tlic places in the vicinity situated on the beautiful bay, I 
left for Ycrba Bucna, a small and growing town on the 
south-west side of San Francisco Bay, and near the tt)wn of 
that name. The harbor oflcrs orcat facilities for the un- 
loading of vessels of all descriptions ; but, like many other 
places bordering on the sea, in California, it sufRtrs from 
"want of good water, which cannot be o})tained — the wells 
being rather brackish. Vessels, therefore, are obliged to 
cross the bay for a supply of wholesome water. As this 
country becomes more thickly settled, and facilities arc 
created for traveling, there will be still another port opened 
further south than Yerl)a Bucna, which will no doubt be- 
come of great importance as a place of business. I found 
three " whalers " in the bay at Yerba Bucna, and occupied 
my time most pleasantly in conversation with their officers 
— two of them being American vessels. 

* * * * :|c H< 

It was with great pleasure I witnessed the preparations 
which, when completed, would, without further delay, per- 
mit me to sail for New Helvetia, the most interesting por- 
tion of California, and destined to become thickly populated 
with American residents. 

I shall never forget the morning following my departure 
for New Helvetia. A landscape of beauty burst upon my 
view, such as I never before witnessed. A view contain- 
ing every soft and delicate feature, yet bounded by the 
sublimest exhibitions of nature. The mouth of the San 
Joaquin opened to my view on the south, presenting a far 
reach inland, that grew dim by the distance. Before me 
was the Sacramento; a rich green canopy was suspended 
from the noble trees that lined its borders, casting deep 
shades that seem to invite the wanderer to its hospitable 
shores. It was Sabbath morning, and I thought I never 
saw more fit temples for praise and worship than every- 
where presented themselves. The green grass came down 



00b CAPTAIN SUTTER. 

in graoeful descent to the water's edge, and gronps of 
splendid oaks, as if of gorgeons parks, Mere scattered abont 
in rich prolusion. The crvstiil dew-drops glistened npon 
the leaves, and a thons^md feathered songstere that tlitte<.l 
abont appeared to join in the nniversal hymn of praise. 

The day was cousnmed in onr passage up the river, 
nothing oecnrring to break the [deasiint thoughts the scenery 
around snggested. Occasionally a deer would betray 
itself among the tangled vines that liung in profusion 
from the larger trees ; or cattle, almost as wild as the deer, 
Monld rush along with heavy tread, crushing the under- 
growth making it sound singnlarly loud. Xo signs of 
civilization were to Ix' seen, and a deserted hut made the 
landscape look more quiet, perhaps, than it would other- 
wise have done. I arrived in the evening at the Einbar- 
cadero, or port of New Helvetia, the schooner coming to 
anchor in a ileet of smaller craft. Here were a few huts 
sitnated upon elevatai ground, nestling beneath the pro- 
tection of lorty sycamore and oaks. The settlement of 
Captain Sutter is nearly three miles from the landing-place, 
the road leading over a beautiful country, constantly rising 
as yon leave the Sacramento. 

Captain Sntter, who is the most enterprising citizen of 
California, and who ks destined to phxif a prominent part in 
ihe/uture hisfon/ of the countrii, is a native of Switzerland, 
and was at one time an otlicer in the l\oyal Guards of 
France. By making friends, from his enterprising char- 
actor and by extensive traveling over the Eocky ^lonn- 
tains. North Mexico and the Sandwich Islands, he was 
enabknl to commence a farming establishment on tlie 
Sacramento on a large scale. 

Captain Sntter obtained a grant trom the Mexican gov- 
ernment of a large tract of land on the Sacramento, on 
condition that he wonld keci> the Indians in check and 
pnnish them if they interfered with the settlement. He 
displayed ^\ondcrt'nl energy of character, and came so im- 



Sutter's foet. 5j9 

expectedly on his enemies, that they soon became con- 
vinced that they all would be destroyed if they did not 
remain at peace with the white inhabitants. Captain Sut- 
ter acted with great judgment in securing the good-will of 
the tribes immediately about him, and thus managed to 
form them into a protection against his more distant 
enemies. All prisoners taken in war were brought to his 
establishment and set to work, thereby increasing his force 
and modifying the cruelties of war. 

To carry out his extensive plans, Captain Sutter pur- 
chased the movable property of the abandoned llussian 
Mission of Ross at Bodega, agreeing to pay for it in a 
certain number of years in agricultural products. lie 
then, with great difficulty, managed to make laborers out 
of the Indians, paying them fair prices in beads and 
blankets, and by these Indians has been performed the 
greater part of his agricultural labor. 

Captain Sutter's establishment has more the appear- 
ance of a fort than a farming establishment. It is ])ro- 
tected by a wall, ten feet high, made of adobes, or 
sun-dried bricks, having a turret with embrasures and loop- 
holes for fire-arms. Twenty-four pieces of cannon of 
different sizes, can be brought to defend the walls. Against 
the walls, on the inside of the fort, are erected the store- 
houses of the establishment, also a distillery to make 
spirits from the wheat and wild grapes, together with shops 
for coopers, blacksmiths, carpenters, saddlers, granaries, 
and huts for the laborers. At the gate- way is always sta- 
tioned a servant, armed as a sentinel. I arrived at the 
establishment early in the morning, just as the people were 
being assembled for labor by the discordant notes of a 
Mexican drum. I found Captain Sutter busily employed 
in distributing orders for the day. He received me with 
great hospitality, and made mo feel on the instant perfectly 
at home under his roof The magical sounds of the drum 
had gatShered together several hundred Indians, who 



560 AN EXCELLENT BKEAKFAST. 

tlockoJ to their luorning meal invparatoiy to the labors of 
the day — rcaj>hig wheat. The juoruiniij meal over, they 
filed off to the field in a kind of military order, armed 
"Nvith a sickle and hook. 

Breakfast Avas by this time announeed for the lamily, 
whieh was served up in an out-house adjoining- the kitchen. 
The breakfast consisted of wholesome corn-bread, eggs, 
ham, an excellent piece of venison and cotVee. In the rear 
of the fort is a large pond, the bordei"S of whieh are planted 
with Avillows and other trees, a most valuable acquisition as 
well as ornament. This pond furnishes water for the ueces- 
sarv wants of domestic use, and for irrigating the gardeu. 
Owing to the drought, the vegetables as well as the wheat 
had suffered ; the latter proving almost a failure. The 
waut of rain is the greatest evil tliat befalls the country. 
In the front of the fort, there are inclosures for hoi-ses and 
cattle, and places to deposit corn and wheat. The manner 
of threshing whieh I witnessed wa^ conducted on the most 
patriarchal plan, the grain being strewn ujhmi the floor, and 
then troddeu out by horses or cattle, whieh causes it to bo 
nuieh broken aud mixed with the earth, and alniosc impos- 
sible to clean. 

The raising of wheat, corn, horses and cattle, constitutes 
the principal business of Captain Sutter; but he has realized 
considerable income from the salmon fisheries of the rivers ; 
the fish being imequaled in flavor and found in the greatest 
abundance. lie also orgtmized extensive hunting aud 
trapping expeditious for the skins of the beaver, otter, elk, 
deer and antelope, but in this he was greatly interfered 
with bv the Hudson ]nty Com[>any, who sent their hunters 
upon his grounds. He complained to the proper authori- 
ties, but thev jKiid no attention whatever to the matter. 
His enemies, not content with thus injuring him, informed 
the suspicious Mexican government that Captain Sutter 
was concocting revolutionary plans, and that he eni-onraged 
deserters and other disorderly pei>}de to live at liis settle- 



Mil. SINCLAIR AXD MU. ORYMES. ^(U 

inoiit. Captain Suitor n^plic'<l to tIu>scM-liari;-i's hy slatinjj;, 
that lu> hail vtHvivi'd tho i;rant to his hiiuls on I'oiHhlioii 
that ho would obtain sottliTs, the principal portion ot" which 
ho oxpci'ttnl iVoni iMiroin*. 'Po make anuaids, ho had cn- 
courai;vd all the stra^'ii'K'rs ot' the i-ountry to llock (o his 
contral position, and they Ikmiil;" principally unmarrieil lut'n, 
and some rather lawless spirits from the mountains, they 
soon formed a very independtait set. of men, and were (piito 
competent to del'end themselves. 

The government at INConti'rev Avas not satisfied with 
Captain Sutter's explanatiims. Urged on by eiwious 
neighbors, it was promj^ted to send to Captain Sutter a 
conunittee of investigation. "^Pho Captain was so enraged 
at the idea of such a thing that he treated the committee 
Avith great contempt, and said h(> could defend himself 
airainst anv force or means that might be empIoNHMl against 
him. ^^'hereupon the governnuait at INEontcrey threatened 
to send a force against him, but thought better of the 
matter when they found out the character of the men Cap- 
tain SuttiM" had alnnit him, and of the Russian armament 
he had mounted on tlu' walls of his fort ; but annoyed him 
Avith legal suits, and after a great deal of difiiculty lu> was 
acquitted of any treasonable design against the governnuMit. 

The Hudson Bay Company's hunters having destroyed 
his trade in furs, an tl thus disapi)ointed him in his iueom(>, 
ho retaliateil upon them by erecting a large distillery, with 
the ]H'oduct of which he secretly purchased from the hunters 
of the comiianv the greater part of their furs, and managed 
to make more by the o[)eration than if ho had kept up a 
ku'ge hunting establishiiu'iit of his own. 

Mr. Sinclair, a partner with C^iptain Sutler in farming 
pursuits, and a Mr. Grymcs, have hirgo and ])roduetive 
farms on the American P'ork, a tributary of the Sacramento. 
Mr. Sinclair is from Scotland ; is a very interesting genlle- 
man in con\-ersatioii, and j)ossesses great enterprise in busi- 
ness. Jlo was a hunter for many years among the Jvocky 



562 A EUEAL BREAKFAST. 

INIountains, acting" as a clerk to one of the ITiul'^on Bay 
Company's expeditions. Mr. Sinclair treated me to a rnral 
breakfiist, and, in accordance Avitli liis old habits, broiled 
his meat on a ramrod stuck np before the fire. The limpid 
and beautiful river near which his house is situated is made 
doubly attractive "svhen compared Avitli the sultry plains in 
the vicinity, upon Avhieli good M^ater is not always to be 
obtained. 



MAKING AND RAISING THE " BEAR FLAG." 



The author is indebted to Mr. Francis D. Clark, Secre- 
tary of "The Associated Pioneers op the Terri- 
torial Days of California/' for the following corres- 
pondence, which settles the matter as to the date of raising 
the "Bear Flag" at Sonoma, Cal. Secretary Winter de- 
serves the thanks of the Pioneers for his persistent and 
painstaking eiforts in settling for all time this mooted 
question : 

Office of the " Territorial Pioneers 
of California," 

No. 103 ]\Iontgomery Street, 
San Francisco, August 30th, 1878. 

Dear Sir : — Inclosed please find a list of " Pioneer " Asso- 
ciations, with their places of meeting and the names of their 
presidents and secretaries ; and, as well, a copy of a communi- 
cation from James G. Bleak, Esq., to me, of date April 16th, 
last, giving the date of the raining of the "Bear Flag" at 
Sonoma. 

I am prompted to send these papers to you, because I think 
them valuable to the Society you represent, for reference and 
preservation ; and more than this, because we are regard- 
ing the New York Society — so closely resembling our 

OWN, IN NAME AND SENTIMENT, DECLARED OBJECTS AND AC- 
COMPLISHED WORK — AS MUCH NEARER AKIN TO OUR ASSO- 
CIATION than any other existing organization. 

The list of " Pioneer " organizations, etc., sent is the result 
of considerable examination of Directories and correspondence, 
with a desire to make it as complete and correct as practica- 
ble ; yet, it is possible, you may be able to suggest some addi- 
tions, in which case you will please do the favor. 

$2 (563) 



564 LETTEK FEOM JAMES G. BLEAK. 

I transmit the copy of James G. Bleak's letter, for the rea- 
son that it is esteemed important in settling the Question 
AS TO Date op Raising the " Bear Flag " at Sonoma, in 
1846, upon which there has hitherto been so mnch contradic- 
tion, both among the " Bear Flag " Party and in History. 

Mr. John S. Ilittell, Historian of the Society of California 
Pioneers, S. F., in his Report of 7th Januaky last, fixed the 
Date as the 12th of June, 1846. Bancroft, the Pacific Coast 
Historian, intended to publish it as on the 15th June, etc. 

To AVm. L. Todd (Maker of the Flag and one of the party) 
I was indebted for the information that Captain AVm. B. Ide, 
in command of the party, kept a Diary during that eventful 
period of California's early History, and this Diary must 
henceforth be received as the most reliable data extant 
and, I think, conclusive on that point, in view of the treachery 
of human memory. 

Yours fraternally, 

Wm. Winter, Secrefari/. 

Francis D. Clark, Esq., Secretary Sociefi/ of " The Asso- 
ciated Piojieers of Territorial Days of California," Head-quar- 
ters, N. Y. City. 

St. George, Utah, 16th April, 1878. 

To "NYm. "SYixter, Esq., Sec'y of Association of " Territorial 
Pioneers of California" — Dear Sir: — Your communication of 
3rd inst. is placed in my hands by the widow of a departed 
friend — James ^I. Ide — as I have at present in my charge 
some of his papers. 

In reply to your question asking for " the correct date" of 
rai-^ii>(j the "Bear Flari" at Sonoma in 1840, I will quote from 
the writing of "NVm. B. Ide, deceased : — " The said ' Bear Flag' 
[was] made of plane [plain] cotton cloth and ornamented with 
the red flannel of a shirt from the back of one of the men, and 
christened by the Avords 'California Republic' in red paint 
letters on both sides ; [it] was raised upon the standard where 
had floated on the bx'cezes the ^lexican Flag aforetime ; it was 
THE 14th of June, '46. Our whole number was 24 all told. 
The mechanism of the Flag was performed by "\Vm. Todd of 



WILLIAM B. IDES DIARY. 565 

111. The Grisly Bear was cliosen as an emblem of strength 
and unyielding resistance." 

I Avill quote a few lines more, though not pertinent to the 
fact of raismg the Flag ; still I believe the few following words 
cannot fail to be gratifying to the companions in arms of Wm 
Jo. ide : 

" The men were divided into two companies of 10 men each. 
Ihe 1st Artillery was busily engaged in putting the cannon in 
order, which were charged doubly with grape and canister, 
ine 1st lufle company were busied in cleaning, repairing and 
loading the small arms. The commander after setting a guard 
and posting a sentinel on one of the highest buildings to watch 
the approach of any persons who might feel a curiosity to in- 
spect our operations-directed his leisure to the establishment 
of some system of finance-whereby all the defenseless flxmilies 
might be brought within the lines of our garrison and sup'- 
por ed. Ten thousand pounds of flour were purchased on the 
credit of the Gov. and deposited within the garrison. And an 
account was opened on terms agreed upon for a supply of beef 
and a few barrels of salt, constituted our main supplies 
Whisky was contraband altogether. After the first round of 
duties >v-as performed, as many as could be spared off guard 
were called together and our situation fully explained to the 
men by the Commander of the Garrison. It was fully repre- 
sented that our success-nay, our very life depended on the 
magnanimity and justice of our course of conduct, coupled 
with sleepless vigilance and care. (But ere this we had 
gathered as many of the surrounding citizens as was possible, 
and placed them out of harm's way, between 4 strong walls' 
they were more than twice our number.) The commander 
chose from these strangers the most intelligent, and by the use 
of an interpreter went on to explain the cause of our comin^r 
together-our determination to offer equal protection and equal 
justice to all good and virtuous citizens, that we had not called 
them there to rob them of their liberties, or to deprive them of 
any joortion of their property, or to disturb them in their social 
relations one witli another nor yet to desecrate their religion " 
Here 1 will desist as my time is much occupied and perhaps 



566 PIONEER OKGANIZATIOXS. 

I have written full as much as you care to read, or the asso- 
ciation to hear. 

Before closing I beg leave to refer to a newspaper clipping 
I find among the papers : it is from the " Daily Alta Cali- 
fornia" of 20 Jan'y 1846. Appended to a copy of the " Pro- 
clamation" is a certificate from Seiior Joachin Torres stating 
the Flag was hoisted on the date of the Proclamation, June 
15th, 1846. This you will perceive is incorrect. I have been 
careful to give you verbatim copy of Ide's words as 

WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. 

Respectfully, 

James G. Bleak. 

The foregoing is a true copy of a Letter received by me, from 
James G. Bleak, Esq., of St. George, Utah. 

Wm. Winter, 
Secretary Association of " Territorial Pioneers 
of California," 
San Francisco, August oOth, 1878. 



PIONEER ORGANIZATIONS. 



" THE SOCIETY OF CALIFORNIA PIONEERS," 
Hall, 808 INIontgomery Street, San Francisco, California. 
S. C. Hastings, Ferdinand Vassault, 

President. Secretary. 



ASSOCIATION OF "TERRITORIAL PIONEERS OF CALIFORNIA," 

Hall, 103 Montgomery Street, San Francisco. 
Wm. T. Garratt, Wm. Winter, 

President. Hecrctary. 



SOCIETY OP "THE ASSOCIATED PIONEERS OF THE TERRI- 
TORIAL DAYS OF CALIFORNIA," 
Head-quarters, New York City. 
John A. Sutter, Francis D. Clark, 

President. Secretary. 

No. IC Cortlandt Street, N. Y. 



PIONEER OEGANIZATIONS. 567 

SOCIETY OF "SANTA CLARA COUNTY PIONEERS," 

San Jose, California. 
Coleman Younger, Alex. P. Murgotten, 

President. Secrelanj, 

Room No. 1, Commercial Bank Building. 



"SACRAMENTO SOCIETY OF CALIFORNIA PIONEERS," 
Rooms, 7th Street, between J and K, Sacramento City, Cal. 
A. B. OsBORN, Asa P. Andrews. 

President. Secretary. 



"MARYSVILLE PIONEER ASSOCIATION," 
Marysville, California. 

Wji. G. Murphy, 

Seci-etary. 



" SAN JOAQUIN SOCIETY OF CALIFORNIA PIONEERS," 
Pioneer Hall, 174 El Dorado Street, Stockton, California. 
W. F. Freeman, Alonzo Rhodes, 

President. Secretary. 



ASSOCIATION OF "OREGON PIONEERS," 
Salem, Oregon. 
W. J. Herron, J. Henry Brown, 

President. Secretary. 



SOCIETY OP "PACIFIC COAST PIONEERS," 
Hall, B Street, Virginia City, Nevada. 
A. J. Tyrrell, S. D. Baker, 

President. Librarian. 



"PIONEERS OF AMADOR AND CALAVERAS COUNTIES," 
Jackson, California. 
James Meehan, Jeff. Davis, 

President. Secretary. 



" VALLfiJO PIONEERS ASSOCIATION," 
Yallt'jo, California. 



" SOCIETY OF CALIFORNIA PIONEERS, FOR THE DISTRICT COM- 
POSED OF SONOMA, NAPA, MARIN, MENDOCINO AND LAKE 

COUNTIES." 
J. Cavanaugh, Capt. Andrew Henry, 

President, Pecordiny Secretary, 

( Petaluma. Petaluma, Sonoma Co., Cal. 



oGS "truckee," the Indian guide. 

KINDRED ORGANIZATION. 

SOCIETY OK " NATIVE SONS OF THE GOLDEN WEST," 
Ilall, o~0 Post Street, Sou Fraucisco. 
John II. Gn.vPY, H. Lunsteds, 

Pmidatt. Secretary. 



"TRUCKEE," THE IXDIAX GUIDE. 

The following letter, Avliich explains itself, is deemed 
■worthy of u plaee in this volume : 

Office of the Association of "Tekeitoeial^ 
Pioneers of California," [ 

Ko. 103 Montgomery Street, i 

San Francisco, September 2Gth, 1878. J 
Samuel C. Upham, Esq., Philadelphia — Pear Sir: — The 
following is a eopy of a reeont commuuieatiou in ■\vliioh is con- 
tained an i liferent i)i (J fragment of our Pioneer history, which I 
have caused to be unearthed, and believe may, at this moment, 
to be of service to you. 

I have thought it only an act of courtesy due you from 
this Association to give you the copy. 

Yours, very respectfully, 

AVm. "Winter, Secrctari/. 

" Oakville, Nafa County, Cal., "1 
'* August 26th, 1878. J 

"'\\''m. AVinter, Esq., San Francisco — Dear Sir: — In an- 
swering your inquiries, I have a request to make of you, which 
is, that if in future you meet with James M. Harbin, you will 
write a biographical sketch of the Indian Truckee. as Mr. 
Harbin can give all the particulars better than any one else, 
judging from the following facts : 

" In 1845, Harbin and a few othei-s were on their way to 
California, via Overland Route, and on arriving at the Sink 
of the Humboldt, they met with an Indian and enqih>yed him 



W3r. baldrigde's letter. 569 

to pilot them across the desert. While en route Plarbiu noticed 
a resemblance in him to a Frenchman he had formerly known 
and therefore bestowed the name of the Frenchman (Truckee) 
on the Indian, and on arriving at the river (Truckee), they 
were greatly elated at their good fortune, and named it 
* Truckee's River.' ' Truckee ' and two of his brothers came 
to California with the emigrants, in 1846, and served in Fre- 
mont's Battalion until the end of the war, and ' Truckee ' was 
admitted to be as brave, if not the bravest, man among 'us, and 
was certainly far superior to most Indians in intellect. 

" I am glad that you met with Mr. Wm. L. Todd, and hope 
the controversy concerning the Bear Flag will soon be settled, 
not that in itself it is a matter of great importance, but as it 
will form a part of history, the story of it should be correctly 
told. I have several times published truthful accounts of it, 
and, in every instance, other persons, Avho of their own knowl- 
edge could have known absolutely nothing about the circum- 
stances narrated, but who happened to be better writers than 
myself, would prove to their own satisfaction, and that also of 
most people, that my statements were false and theirs correct. 

" Yours, etc., 

" Wm. Baldkidge." 



THE LAND WE ADORE. 

Song aud Chorus. 

WORDS BY 

SAMUEL C. UPHAM. 

Air — "Flow Gently, Sweet Aflon." 



mof the camp-nres of em - 1-grant trains Is sel-doni now seen on tho far- a-way plak 




^& 



Our camp-Qres no lon-ger il- lume the ra-vine, The Panand the Kockcr arc rare- ly now seen, 

m-m- , I * I * (P . , i# i#-^L^ r=' * I ^ I * * 1 1 * I * ^ 



k I k U i * =fa=^ 



^=i«= 



JCSCJBZ 






ff^ 



^^^M^^^^ 



^P^ 



T=PT 



3^ 



I I 



Fi-i-Jolesa.ai Hap- jacks, our di - et of yore. Like 



ion have flowu io ro-turu ncv - er-more. 




M 



CHORUS. 






Now fond rec ■ ol - lec-tions of long a - go timca, Comocch-o - ing back like tho inu- tJic of chimes 



< 1 1 ) L.— 




^^^^^ ^^^4^ ^ 



Our thoughts wander back to the laud 




dorc, Bc-vond tho Si - er-ras— Pa - cif-ic's lov'd shore. 






F=^ 



THE LAND WE ADOEE. 571 

IL 

The Tom and the Sluice-box, once sparkling with gold, 
No longer wash out the auriferous mould ; 
The Quartz Mill and Crusher have taken their place, 
And steam 's declared victor again in the race. 
Our cabins now roofless and gone to decay, 
Like their tenants of old, are fast j)assing away ; 
The grave on the hillside, with head-board decayed, 
Marks the spot where a comrade we long ago laid. 

Clio. — Now fond recollections of long-ago times, etc. 

III. 

O woman, dear woman ! pure as gold without dross, 

The first at the tomb and the last at the cross. 

Thy presence ne'er cheered us in camp nor in mine, 

In those long-ago days, the days of lang syne — 

When the toils of the day had drawn to a close. 

And wrapped in our blankets in silent repose, 

Our thoughts wandered back to our sweethearts and wives. 

The loved ones for whom we had periled our lives. 

Clio. — Now fond recollections of long-ago times, etc. 

IV. 

Now hamlets like magic to cities have grown. 
The ranchero has reaped the grain he has sown. 
The vine and the fig-tree are laden with fruit. 
And breezes blow soft there as tones of the lute ; 
The orange-tree blossoms and fruits in the vale. 
The date and pomegranate, 'mid sand and 'mid shale. 
The filbert and almond, and manna of yore. 
Abound in the land that we love and adore. 

Clio. — Now fond recollections of long-ago times, etc. 

V. 

The Tuolumne rolls on as in ages of yore. 
The Stanislaus laves its auriferous shore. 



. 



572 THE LAND WE ADOEE. 

The Beai' and tlic Yuba flow down to the sea, 

Bright flowers are still blooming, and green is each tree ; 

The Sierras tower up in their helmets of snow. 

And the wild rose and tule still wave to and fro ; 

Diablo, proud monarch, all grizzled and gray. 

Looms up in the distance his realm to survey. 

Cho. — Now fond recollections of long-ago times, etc. 

VI. 

Now fond recollections of long-ago times, 
Come echoing back like the music of chimes ; 
Our thoughts wander back to the land we adore. 
Beyond the Sierras — Pacific's loved shore. 
But where are our comrades of long-ago days ? 
Some with us are crowned with laurels and bays. 
And others are here with locks frosted by age. 
Whose names add new lustre to history's page. 

Cho. — Now fond recollections of long-ago times, etc. 

VII. 

And Stevenson's veterans are present to-day, 
From Sonoma, La Paz, and from old Monterey — 
Heroes, who helped add to the Red, White and Blue 
A bright golden star, ever loyal and true. 
And others lie mouldering on the plains of the West, 
Their spirits have soared to the land of the blest, 
Where soon we shall meet on that far-distant shore, 
Shall meet, and shall greet, and shall part nevermore. 

Cho. — Now fond recollections of long-ago times, etc. 



A TKIBUTE TO GENERAL JOHN A. SUTTER, 
AND A TOUCHING REPLY. 



New York, March 1st, 1878. 

General John A. Sutter, President, etc., Washington, 
D. C. — Dear General : — At a special meeting of " The Asso- 
ciated Pioneers of the Territorial Days of California," held in 
New York on the 18th ult, reference was made to the coming 
birthday anniversary of our esteemed friend and associate, 
General John A. Sutter ; and, by a unanimous vote, the officers 
of the Society were requested to prepare some appropriate 
memento of this anniversary, to be presented to yourself. 

With the greatest pleasure, we hasten to fulfill the honorable 
duty assigned us by our associates, and hand you the accom- 
panying cane, wrought specially for the occasion, of California 
gold and of California rosewood ; it is but a feeble token of our 
respect and fraternal regard for one who has, during these long 
years, not only been our friend, but the friend of all Califor- 
nians ; who has illustrated, by his life and by his signal bene- 
factions, the Divine precept of " charity." On behalf of our 
associates, we tender our congratulations that, in health and 
strength and surrounded by friends, you are able to celebrate 
this seventy-sixth birthday and anniversary, and that you may 
long be spared for similar annual congratulations, is our 
earnest prayer. 

Very truly, yours, 

Francis D. Clark, 

Secretary. 
(573) 



574 GENERAL SUTTEll's TCTII BIETIIDAY. 

GENERAL SUTTER'S REPLY. 

Washington, D. C, IMarch 2(1, 1878. 

Frient5S and Companions of "The Associated Pioneers 
of the Territorial Days of California," New York City — 
Gentlemen : — I received yesterday, by express, as an ap- 
propriate memento of the seventy-sixth anniversary of my 
birth, a beautiful cane, " wrought specially for the occasion, 
of California gold and California rosewood," symbolizing, at 
one and the same time, the generous gratitude of my contem- 
porary pioneers and the acts of my life which signally marked 
my humble career as one of the hardy adventurers of the 
Pacific slope. For your kind allusions to my early services to 
the pioneers of California, you will, one and all, gentlemen, 
please accept my grateful acknowledgments, and the assurance 
that in such manifestation on the part of those I may have 
served, I have my reward. 

We are now hastening onward to our final resting-place, but 
the romance of our history as California pioneers, with its 
reverses and its successes, will tend, for ages to come, to stimu- 
late the energy of our postei'ity. 

Thanking you for the new honors, and for the many past 
favors received at the hands of the Society, collectively and 
personally, I am, truly and sincerely, your friend and obedient 
servant, 

John A. Sutter. 



HIISTOI^'Y" 



INAUGURATION AND ORGANIZATION 





ASSOCIATED PIONEEES 



TERRITORIAL DAYS OF CALIFORNIA. 

HEAD-QUARTERS IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK. 



The annual re-union of old Californians, now resident of 
the city of New York and its immediate vicinity, was in- 
augurated on the evening of the 6th of March, 1872, by a 
party of gentlemen, former members of that pioneer regiment 
to the Pacific Coast in 1847, known as " Stevenson's California 
Regiment of New York Volunteers." The party assembled at 
the residence of a former comrade, John "Wolfe, Esq., on West 
Twenty -third Street, and U2:)on the invitation of that gentleman. 
Of the regiment there were present : its former surgeon, Dr. 
Alex. Perry, Captain James M. Turner, Lieutenant Jeremiah 
Sherwood; Privates Russell Myers, Francis D. Clark and 
John Wolfe, the host. Among the guests were Mr. O. H. Pier- 
son, an old '49er, and John A. Sutter, Jr., grandson of that old 
pioneer, General John A. Sutter. The evening was the twenty- 

(575) 



O/O RE-UNION OF CALIFORNIA PIONEERS. 

fifth anuivcrsary of the arrival of tlic sliip TJios. IT. Perkins, 
the pioneer ship of the fleet which conveyed the regiment to 
California. Letters of regret "vvcre received from absent com- 
rades, Major-Geueral Jas. A. Ilardie, Inspector-General U.S.A., 
formerly major of the regiment ; Generals Nelson, Taylor and 
Francis J. Lippitt, formerly captains ; Hon. Sherman O. 
Houghton, House of Representatives, formerly a member of 
Co. A, as also letters from other distinguished gentlemen re- 
siding away from the city. It was at this little gathering that 
the subject was discussed of the organization of a "Society of 
California Pioneers of Kew York City," all Californians of 
1849 and prior, to be eligible, the Society to act in concert 
with the one at San Francisco. 

On the following year, in the month of March, the second 
re-union took jslace, and there assembled at the residence of 
Mr. Wolfe, Dr. Perry, Captain Turner, Lieutenant Sherwood, 
Privates Myers, Clark, Wolfe, as also the following who were 
not among those present upon the former occasion. Privates 
Jacob J. Schoonmaker, Wm. H. Rogers, James E. Nuttman, 
Jacob W. Norris and John Taylor, and thus was another 
evening jiassed in a joyous re-union of these early pioneers. 

In the month of March, 1874, the members of the regiment 
decided to hold the re-union of that year at one of our hotels 
in consequence of sickness in the family of their comrade, Mr. 
Wolfe, himself also an invalid, and while arrangements were 
being eflocted for that purpose, the proix)sition was made to 
those gentlemen having the matter in charge, by a number of 
'49ers,to join the two elements upon the present occasion, and 
have a re-union of California Pioneers, on the evening of the 
2Cth of March, 1874, celebrating the twenty-seventh anniver- 
sary of the landing of Stevenson's Regiment of Kew York 
Volunteers at San Francisco, and the following circular was 
issued and addressed to all pioneers known to be residents of 
this and adjoining States: 

1847. RE-UNION OF CALIFORNIA PIONEERS. 1874. 

New York, March IGtli, 1874. 
The undersigned take pleasure in announcing that arrangements 
have been completed for a rc-uuion of California I'ioneerfi, to be held at 



i 



COMMITTEE OF ARKANGEMENTS. O/ / 

the Sturtevant House, Broadway, Twenty-eiglitli and Twenty-ninth 
Streets, on Thursday evening, the 26th instant, at eight o'clock, heing the 
twenty-seventli Anniversary of the landing of Colonel Stevenson's Kegi- 
ment of New York Volunteers, at San Francisco, Cal. 

Should you be pleased to participate in the re-union, a response 
addressed to the Secretary will meet with attention. 

COMMITTEE OF ARRANGEMENTS. 



Surg. ALEXANDER PERRY, 1 
Lieut. J. SHERWOOD, 
JAMES E. NUTT]MAN, 
RUSSELL ISIYERS, 
FRANCIS D. CLARK, 
JOHN WOLFE, 



Maj.-Geii. H. GATES GIBSON, U.S.A., 
S^SS " FRANCIS E. PINTO, 

U Hon. JAS. S. WETHERED, 
1 1 JOHN SICKELS, 
g-l O. II. PIERSON, 

JACOB P. LEESE, 



S§ 



ALEXANDER PERRY, M. D., Chairman. 
LIEUT. J. SHERWOOD, Treasurer, 

1172 Broadway. 
GEN. FRANCIS E. PINTO, Secretary, 

106 Wall Street. 

Upon tlie evening indicated there a.ssembled at the Sturte- 
vant House a large and enthusiastic gathering of Californians 
of the early days — among the number being Commodore C. K. 
Garrison, General Thos. B. Van Buren, Willard B. Farwell, 
AVilliam Colligan, William M. Walton, Jas. F. Curtis, John 
Lambier, H. P. Townsend, G. A. Mendon, James Stark, the 
old pioneer actor, E. W. Crowell, and besides the gentlemen 
composing the committee of arrangements there were some 
fifteen former members of the regiment present, and among 
the guests were Rufus Hatch, Esq., Vice-President of the 
Pacific Mail Steamship Company, and Clark Bell, Esq., Coun- 
sel to the Company, who rej^resented the old pioneer Steam- 
ship Company of California. This assemblage unanimously 
voted that the re-union so worthily inaugurated by the little 
band of Stevenson's regiment should henceforth assume a per- 
manent character, and upon the motion of ]\Ir. O. H. Piersou, 
the present company adjourned to meet again, if alive, during 
the coming winter, and in furtherance of that resolution the 
following circular was issued, calling a meeting of old Califor- 
nians at the Sturtevant House, on the evening of the 28th 
January, 1875 : 



578 KE-UNION OF OLD CALIFORNIANS. 

TERRITORIAL DAYS OF CALIFORNIA. 

RE-UNION OF OLD C A LIFORNI ANS. 

MEXICAN AND AMERICAN. 



New York, January 21st, 1S75. 
A meeting of gentlemen who were residents of California prior to 
its admission as a State into the Union September 9th, 1850, -will be held 
at the Stuhtevant House, Broadway, Twenty-eighth and Twenty- 
ninth Streets, on Thursday evening, 28th instant, at eight o'clock. 

The object of the meeting is for the purpose of selecting a Commit- 
tee of Arrangements for a proposed Re-union Banquet, at an early day, 
as also to obtain the views of those intending to participate upon the 
occasion. 

The re-union of the 26th of March last was attended with so much 
pleasure and satisfaction, that those who were participants, as also 
many who were unable to be present, have expressed a desire for its 
repetition the present winter. 

Californians of 1S51 and 1852, the early days of the Golden State, 
are cordially invited to participate. 

You are requested to be present upon the evening indicated, or may 
address a communication (giving your vieAvs and expectation of par- 
ticipating) to the Chairman, California meeting, Sturtevant House. 
Respectfully, etc., 

Jacob P. Leese, 1833. 

Rodman M. Price, 1846. 

"William Colligan, " 

Alexander Perry, M. D., 1847. 
Jeremiah Sherwood, '' 

Francis D. Clark, " 

O. H. PiERSON, 1S49. 

E. W. Crowell, " 

S. D, Jones, " 

WiLLARD B. Far-well, " 

AViLLiAM M. Walton, " 

John Sickels, " 

Francis E. Pinto, " 

J. A. Sperry, " 

Thomas D. Johns, 1850. 

James F. Curtis, " 



COMMITTEE OF AREANGEMENTS. 579 

This circular was addressed to all old Californians, known to 
be residents of the city of New York and vicinity, and to many 
residing in distant States, and in response there assembled at 
the Sturtevant House, on the evening of the 28th of January, 
the following-named persons: Lieutenant Jeremiah Sher- 
wood, George M. Leannard, Russell Myers, Francis D. Clark 
and James E, Nuttman, of Stevenson's Regiment, 1847; 
General II. Gates Gibson, O. H. Pierson, John Sickels, Wil- 
liam M. Walton, Thomas McSpedon, H. Barnard, Edw. F. 
Burton, Willard B. Farwell, pioneers of 1849 ; S. L. Mer- 
chant, Thos. D. Johns, George W. Stanton, J. A. Prior, of 
1850, and James H. Butler, of 1852. 

The inclement state of the weather, a heavy storm prevail- 
ing, caused many to be absent who otherwise intended to have 
been at the meeting. 

The meeting was called to order by Mr. Willard B. Farwell, 
and on motion of that gentleman. General PI. Gates Gibson, 
U. S. A., was chosen chairman, and on motion of Mr. 0. H. 
Pierson, Mr. Francis D. Clark v.'as selected as Secretary. 

The Chairman stated the object of the meeting, which was 
to make arrangements for the annual banquet of old Califoi'- 
niaus resident of the city of New York and vicinity. 

On motion of Mr. Pierson it was resolved that the banquet 
should take place on Thursday evening, the 11th of February, 
at the Sturtevant House. 

The Chair announced the following committees in connection 
with the banquet, and who were instructed to make all neces- 
sary arrangements for the same. 



COMMITTEE OF ARRANGEMENTS. 

Vice Admiral S. C. Eowan, U. S. Navy, Jacob P. Leese, 

Maj.-Gen. Joseph Hooker, U. S. Army, Jeremiah Sherwood, 

" H. Gates Gibson, U. S. Army, John Sickels, 

Hon. Rodman M. Price, Willard B. Farwell, 

Alexander Perry, M. D., Francis D. Clark. 
33 



580 PEKMANENT ORGANIZATION. 

COMJIITTEE ON IXVITATIOX. 

Maj.-Gen. Eufus Ingalls, U. S. Army, John Sickels. 



RECEPTION COMMITTEE. 

Gen. Francis E. Pinto, William ^I. "Walton, 

Edgaii W. Cbowell, O. H. Piekson. 



committee on decorations. 

James F. Curtis, Ma.i. Eussell Myers, 

William Colligan, Col. Jas. E. Nuttman. 



Mv. Clark moved that this meeting in-oceed to take the 
necessary steps for the iininediate orgauizatiou of a permanent 
association, to he kno^vn as the " Associated Pioneers of the 
Territorial Days of California." 

Mr. Pierson moved that the Chairman appoint a committee 
to frame a Constitution and By-Laws for the jnirpose of such 
an organization. 

The Chair appointed as such committee jNIessrs. Johns, 
Sickels, Walton, Farwell, Colligan, JNIyers, Sherwood, Clark 
and Nuttman, with instructions to make their report on the 
evening of the banquet. 

After a full exchange of views on the part of those present, 
in relation to the subjects brought before the meeting, on mo- 
tion of ]\Ir. INIcrchant the meeting adjourned until the evening 
of the 11th of February. 

At a subsequent meeting of the Committee of Arrangements, 
the resignation of Dr. Alex. Perry was received, in consequence 
of his inability to attend the banquet. 

On motion of ]Mr. F. D. Clark, the same was accepted, and 
Mr. S. L. INIerchant was chosen to till the vacancy. 

On motion of JNIr. John Sickels, i\[ajor-General H. Gates 
Gibson was chosen Chairman of the Committee. 



EEPORT OF COMMITTEE ACCEPTED. 581 

EEPORT OF COMMITTEE. 

New York, February 11th, 1875. 

At the meeting of Old Califomians, held at the Sturtevant House, 
in this city, on Thursday evening, the 28th of January last, the under- 
signed were selected as a committee to prepare a suitable plan of or- 
ganization for a permanent Association, through which the memories of 
their pioneer experiences in the settlement and development of Cali- 
fornia, during its territorial and early days, may be perpetuated to the 
members of such association and their posterity. 

Believing that the best way to perfect such an organization is to 
approach the subject in the simplest and most concise manner, and to 
act without unnecessary expenditure of time, the committee have pre- 
pared the subjoined brief articles of association, which they here1)y sub- 
mit, with the recommendation that they be accepted and signed by all 
who desire to become members, and by that act thus calling the desired 
association into immediate existence. 



Thos. D. Johns, 1850, Chairman 
John Sickels, 
Wm. M. Walton, 



John Sickels, ~) 

]■ 1849. 



WiLLAKD B. FaRWELL, J 

William Colligan, 184G, 



BussELL Myers, 
J. Sherwood, 
Francis D. Clark, 
Jas. E. Nuttman, 



Stevenson's 

Regiment 

1847. 



General Francis E. Pinto moved the acceptance of the re- 
port, and on being seconded by ex-Governor Rodman M. Price, 
the same was unanimously received. 

Thomas D. Johns here presented, as Chairman of the Com- 
mittee, the following : 

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION. 

1st. This organization shall be called " The Associated Pio- 
neers of the Territorial Days of California." 

2d. It shall be composed of all residents of California prior 
to its admission into the Union, September 9th, 1850. 

3d. All former and present citizens of California, who resided 
there subsequent to September 9th, 1850, shall be eligible to 



582 ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION. 

" honoranj memhersliip on the same terms as other members, 
and shall enjoy all the rights and privileges of the Associa- 
tion." 

4th. The officers shall consist of a President, Vice-President 
and a Secretary (avIio shall also be Treasurer) ; they shall 
constitute ex officio the Board of Trustees, and shall have the 
executive management and direction of the Association. 

5th. All persons eligible to membership as above, shall be 
and become members of the Association on subscribing to these 
Articles of Association, and paying to the Treasurer the sum 
of ten dollars, and without payment of any further dues what- 
soever. 

6th. The sums received for membership as above, or from 
any source whatever, shall be invested by the Trustees in 
United States Government bonds, and placed for safe keeping 
in the vault of a reliable Safe Deposit Company, not to be 
withdrawn or approj^riated except by vote of the Association. 
The interest on such bonds to be expended from time to time as 
may be in the judgment of the Trustees requisite for expenses 
of printing, stationery, etc., on behalf of the Association. 

7th. The annual meeting shall be held on the 18th day of 
January, the anniversary of the discovery of gold in Califor- 
nia. But when that day falls on Saturday or Sunday, the 
meeting may be held on such other day as the Trustees may 
select. 

The articles above enumerated, with the exception of the 
seventh, as above stated, were unanimously adopted. 

An election of officers for the ensuing year was then pro- 
ceeded with, and General H. Gates Gibson, U. S. A., was 
chosen President ; John Sickels, Vice-President, and Francis 
D. Clark, Secretary and Treasurer. 



OFFICEES CHOSEN JAN. 18, 1878. 583 

OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY, 

Chosen at the Annual Meeting, held January 18th, 1878. 



SECKETARY. 
FEANCIS D. CLARK. 



PKESIDEISTT. 
General JOHN A. SUTTEE, Litiz, Pa. 

VICE-PRESIDEN'TS. 



Geu. n. G. GIBSON, V. S. A. 
JOHN SICKELS, N. Y. aty. 
GEORGE HOWES, N. Y. CUy. 
JOHN J. EAGER, Mhinebeck, N. Y. 
Hon. DEMAS STRONG, Brooklyn, N. Y. 
SAM'L C. UPHAM, Philaddpkia, Pa. 
GILMOR MEREDITH, Baltimore, 31(1. 
Gen. EDW. F. BEALE, Washington, D. C. 
Hon. ROBERT H. McKUNE, Scranlon, Pa. 
WM. M. WALTON, Ketvark, N. J. 

TilirSTEES. 

Gen. THOS. W. SWEENY, U. S. A. 

Gen. THOS. D. JOHNS. 

Col. EDW. F. BURTON. 

Hon. C. LYDECKER. 

GEO. F. SNIFFEN. 

JAMES A. SPERRY. 

EDW. R. ANTHONY. 

E. W. CROWELL. 

WM. C. ANNAN. 

TKEASURER. 
Hon. JEEEMIAH SHEEWOOD. 




0S4 AKTICLES OF ASSOCIATION. 

AMENDED AND KE VISED 
AETICLES OF ASSOCIATION. 

Article 1. This Society shall be kuowu by the name of 
" The Associated Pioneers of the Territorial Days of 
Califokxia," aud is tleolared to be a social orgauizatiou. Its 
objects are to form a more perfect uuiou of the Pioneei's of 
California, now residents of the Atlantic States, and to culti- 
vate social intercourse between them. 

Art. 2. To collect and preserve historical facts and infor- 
mation, in connection with the early aud subsequent history of 
the Pacific Coast, aud to perpetuate the memory of those whose 
wisdom, valor and enterprise advanced civilization to the shores 
of the Pacific. 

Art. 3. The members of the Society shall be classified as 
follows : Those elected under Art. G to be designated Territo- 
rial members. Those elected under Art. 7, to be designated 
State members. Those elected under Art. 8, to be designated 
Ifowrary members. 

Art. 4. It shall be the duty, as it will be the interest, of 
every member of the Society, to use all laudable efibrts to col- 
lect and procure such relics, incidents aud facts connected with 
the history and settlement of California, as may be interesting 
and useful to the Society ; and so soon as it is prepared to 
provide for the care of the same, donations of such lU'ticles aud 
information will be received. 

Art. 5. It is declared to be the further purpose of the So- 
ciety, at such period as its financial strength will warrant, to 
support a permanent hall in the city of New York, which shall 
contain the journals aud periodicals of the Golden State, a 
library for the dilfusiou of useful knowledge among its mem- 
bers, a nuiseum containing valuable records of interest, and 
curiosities pertaining to the early days of California ; as also 
a head-quarters for residents of California visiting the city of 
New York. 

Art. G. All persons who were for any period in California 



TEKEITORIAL AND HONORARY MEMBEKSIIIP. 585 

prior to the 9tli clay of September, 1850 (the date of the 
admission of the State of California into the Union), all -svho 
served in the Navy of the United States on the Coast of Cali- 
fornia during the conquest of that then INlexicau Territory, and 
the male descendants of all such, of lawful age, shall be eligible 
to Territorial membership. 

Art. 7. All persons whose residence in California dated 
subsequent to the 9th day of September, 1850, and who were 
residents of the State for the period of one year, shall be eligible 
to State membership on the same terms as other members, and 
shall be entitled to all the privileges of the Society, except to 
hold office ; provided, however, that this Article shall in no 
wise change the status of the State members who were enrolled 
prior to the 18th day of January, 1876. 

Art. 8. Any person who, previous to the 9th of September, 
1850, the date of the admission of California into the Union, is 
recognized as having been prominently identified with, or 
prominently connected with, California in direct business or 
commercial relations, and is not eligible to Territorial or State 
membership, may, by vote of two-thirds of the members pre- 
sent at an annual meeting of the Society, be admitted to 
Honorary membership, without the payment of the member- 
ship fee or other dues, and shall be entitled to all the privileges 
of the Society except to vote or hold office ; provided, how- 
ever, that the names of such persons shall have been presented 
in writing to the Secretary of the Society at least thirty days 
before said annual meeting. 

Art. 9. Any person qualified as prescribed in Articles and 
7, desiring to become a member, shall make application to the 
Secretary of the Society, giving name, place of residence, occu- 
pation and date of his arrival, or that of his ancestor, in Cali- 
fornia ; and within ten days after the receipt of such applica- 
tion the Secretary shall transmit the same to the Board of 
Trustees, and upon the return of the application by them, as 
approved, the Secretary shall notify the applicant of his 
election. 

Art. 10. All applicants for membership to this Society must 



586 ADMISSION FEE. 

be of good character and gentlemanly deportment, and in every 
•way entitled to the respect and confidence of the Associated 
Pioneers ; and in any case Avhere the facts obtained by the 
Board of Trustees arc to the contrary, the application shall be 
rejected, 

Akt. 11. Each person, on admission as a member of the 
Society, shall pay into its treasury the sum of ten dollars, and 
an annual assessment of five dollars, payable semi-annually in 
advance, and shall sign the Articles of Association -with his 
name in full, and the day of the month and year of his arrival 
in California ; and if any person residing in the city of New 
York, for two months after his notification by the Secretary of 
his election, or if residing outside of the city of New York, for 
three months after said notification, shall neglect to pay his 
membership fee and sign the Articles of Association, he shall 
be considered as having declined to become a member ; indebt- 
edness for six months after the semi-aunual assessment shall 
have become due, shall render the member liable to be sus- 
pended from all privileges of the Society until said indebted- 
ness has been paid. This Article shall not apply to any mem- 
ber Avho was elected prior to the 18^/i- day of January, 1878, 
unless he shall have notified the Secretary of his willingness to 
abide by its conditions. 

Aet. 12. Any member who shall be accused of moral turpi- 
tude or misconduct inconsistent with his obligations as a 
member of the Society, or who shall make a false representa- 
tion of the time of his arrival in California, shall be notified to 
appear before the Board of Trustees, and if found guilty, shall 
be reprimanded or expelled by said Board, and notice thereof 
shall be given to the members by the Board, through the Sec- 
retary, stating the reason of said action : provided, the member 
shall have the right to appeal to the next annual meeting of 
the Society, by filing in the Secretary's oflice notice of his in- 
tention so to appeal within one month after the service upon 
him of the notice of the judgment of the Board. And unless 
the decision of the Board be affirmed by a vote of a majority 
of the members present, the action of the Board shall be of no 
effect. 



PRESIDENT, VICE-PEESIDENT AND SECRETAEY. o87 

ApvT. 13. The officers of the Society shall consist of a Presi- 
dent, ten Vice-Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer, and a Board 
of Trustees, to consist of nine members. 

Aet. 14. The annual meeting of the Society shall be held 
on the eighteenth day of January, that being the anniversary 
of the discovery of gold at Sutter's Saw-mill, by James W. 
Marshall, an employee of General John A. Sutter. 

Art. 15. The election for officers, all of whom shall be quali- 
fied members of the Society, shall be hoklen at the annual 
meeting, and their election shall be by ballot. 

Art. 16. The officers of the Society shall hold office for one 
year, or until their successors have been elected and qualified. 

PRESIDENT. 

Art. 17. The President shall preside at the meetings of the 
Society, and of the Board of Trustees. He shall preserve 
order and decorum, and shall announce the order of business, 
and decide questions, subject to an appeal by any two mem- 
bers. He is also empowered to call a special meeting of the 
Society at any time that it may, in his opinion, be deemed 
necessary ; the call to be made through the Secretary of the 
Society by written or printed notice to each member. 

VICE-PRESIDENT. 

Art. 18. The First Vice-President shall preside and per- 
form all the duties of the office of the President in the absence 
or disqualification of that officer ; and in the event of the death 
or resignation of the President, he shall succeed him during 
the remainder of his term ; and in the absence of the President 
and the First Vice-President the senior Vice-President present 
shall perform the duties of the office. 

secretary. 

Art. 19. The Secretary shall keep a record of all the pro- 
ceedings of the Society, and of the Board of Trustees. Pie 
shall record its Articles of Association in a book to be kept 



588 TEEASURER AXD LIBRARIAN. 

solely for sucli purpose. He shall register the uanios of mcin- 
bei"s, aud shall have charge of the roll of nicinbers. 

He shall be rospousible for the safe-keeping of all books of 
record and pajiers belonging to the oliice of the Secretary. 

He shall, Avhcnevcr directed by the President, give the 
members of the Soi'iety and Board of Trustees proper notice of 
all meetings, and shall perform such other duties as may be 
assigned to him by the Board of Trustees. 

TREASURER. 

Art. 20. The Treasurer shall collect the admission fees and 
dues, and shall hold all the money, evidences of indebtedness, 
aud valuable documents of the Society. He shall not pay any 
money except upon an authorization signed by the President 
and countersigned by the Secretary of the Society. He shall 
make a reinn-t every six months to the Board of Trustees, and 
exhibit in detail his receipts and payments, and the balance in 
the treasury, aud if invested, how ; jirovlded, that the Trea- 
surer is not authorized, nor are the Board of Trustees empow- 
ered, to appropriate or direct the payment of any money from 
the funds held by the Treasurer from viembershipfces. Such 
money shall be held as a permanent fund of the Society, 
the interest, on/i/ therefrom^ to be at the disposal of the 
Board of Trustees for the necessarily-incurred expenses of 
the Society. 

He shall keep a regular account of the financial affairs of 
the Society, an abstract of which he shall exhibit, accom- 
panied by satisfactory vouchers, at each annual meeting of 
the Society ; at the expiration of his term of ofHce he shall 
deliver to his successor all moneys, evidences of indebtedness, 
valuable documents, books, vouchers and other papers in his 
possession belonging to the Society. 

LIBRARIAN. 

Art. 21. It shall be the duty of the Librarian to keep a 
full and accurate catalogue of all the books, magazines, maps, 
charts, relics or other property belonging to the Society, and 
arrange them in proper order. He shall make a record of all 



I 



BOARD OF TRUSTEES. 589 

books or other douatious prescutod. to the Society, iu a book 
provided for that purpose, ^vith the names of the donors, and 
to make suitable acknowledgment of the snme. 

The Secretary shall be, ex officio, Librarian of the Society, 
and perform all the duties as Librarian until the Board of 
Trustees shall ap})oint one, and under such regulations as the 
Board of Trustees may from time to time direct, Avhich instruc- 
tions shall be given to the Librarian iu writing, under the 
signature of the President of the Board. 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES. 

Art. 22. The Board of Trustees, of which the President and 
Secretary shall be members by virtue of their respective offices, 
shall meet for the transaction of business at such time and 
place as the President of the Society shall direct. 

The President of the Board shall, upon the receipt of an 
application for membership from the otiice of the Secretary of 
the Society, make inquiry as to the moral character and social 
standing of the applicant ; and if the information received be 
satisfactory, the application shall be returned with the indorse- 
ment Approved , if to the contrary, it shall be indorsed Be- 
jectecl, and shall be signed by at least three other members of 
the Board. 

A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a 
quorum to transact the business of the Society. 

The Board shall have chai-ge and control of the personal 
property of the Society. 

The Board shall direct the investment of the funds received 
by the Treasurer from the membership fees, or from any special 
donation to the permanent fund of the Society, iu United 
States Government bonds, where the amount in the hands of 
the Treasurer is sufficient for that purpose, such bonds to be 
placed by the Board in a reliable Safe Deposit Company, not 
to bo withdrawn or a])propriated except by the vote of two- 
thirds of the members present at an annual meeting of the 
Society ; the interest, however, derived from said bonds, to be 
subject to appropriation by the Board for the current expenses 
of the Society. 



590 RELIEF FUND. 

The Board is empowered to fill vacancies occurring in 
any office, except that of President, until the next annual 
meeting. 

The Board shall have power to ai^propriate the funds of the 
Society, not otherivlse prohibited, but shall not create any debt 
or liability in the name of the Society, or in any manner use 
its credit. 

The Board shall examine all bills paid by the Treasurer, as 
otherwise provided, at least once in every three months. 

Art. 2u. The President, on the decease of any member in 
good standing, shall call a meeting of the Society ; and the 
obituary and resolutions passed at such meeting may be pub- 
lished in a newspaper published at the place of residence of the 
deceased, and the Secretary shall communicate the proceedings 
to the family or relatives of the deceased. 

Art. 24. When the Board of Trustees shall be satisfied that 
any worthy member of the Society is unable, for the time being, 
to pay the yearly dues hereinbefore prescribed, it shall have 
power to remit such dues. But if any member of this Society, 
having the ability to pay the yearly dues hereinbefore pre- 
scribed, shall refuse to pay the same, and shall not, at the time 
of such refusal, render an excuse that shall be satisfactory, he 
shall be debarred from all privileges of the Society, the Secre- 
tary shall cause his name to be erased from the roll, and he 
shall not again be admitted as a member except by two-thirds 
vote of the Board of Trustees, and upon such conditions as 
the Board shall deem fit to impose. 

Art. 25. It shall be the duty of the Board of Trustees to 
create a Relief Fund ; and they shall cause to be transferred 
thereto, from time to time, from the General Fund, any sur- 
plus money there may be therein, beyond the estimated current 
expenses of the Society for the year. And all moneys obtained 
by the Society from any and all sources for charitable uses, 
shall be paid into said Relief Fund, and be disbursed under 
the direction of the Board of Trustees, to aid such members as 
shall, in their judgment, be entitled thereto. 

Art. 2G. The Articles of Association may be amended at 



EOLL OF MEMBERS. 591 

any annual meeting of the Society, upon the vote of two-thirds 
of the members present. 

Art. 27. These revised Articles shall take effect immedi- 
ately upon their passage, and shall supersede those in force 
heretofore. 

Examined and approved. 

James A. Sperry, ^ 
Thomas D. Johns, V Coimnittee. 
John Gault, j 

The above Committee was appointed at the annual meeting 
held January 18th, 1878, to revise the foregoing Articles. 
Their action to be final. 

Francis D. Clark, Secretary. 



ROLL OF MEMBERS. 



JANUARY ISlh, 1S7S. 



TERRITORIAL MEMBERS. 

1833. 
Jacob P. Leese, San Antonio, Texas. 

1839. 
Gen. John A. Sutter, Litiz, Lancaster Co., Pa. 

1843. 
Gen. John C. Fremont, ..... Arizona Territory. 

184G. 
Hon. Rodman M. Price, . . . . . Ramsey, Bergen Co.,.]Sr. J. 

Gen. Edw. F. Beale, Washington, D. C. 

Gen. Joseph \V. Revere, Morristown, N. J. 

William Colligan, 58 Monroe St., N. Y. 

John Dolman, 727 Walnut St., Phila., Pa. 



592 



EOLL OF ]M EMBERS. 



Edward C. Kemble, 312 E. 79th St., N. Y. 

Dr. George McKinstry, Old San Diego, Cal. 

1847. — (Stevenson's Regiment.) 

. 16 Cortlandt St., N. Y. 

. 70 High St , Newark, N. Y. 
. 3 West 27th St., N. Y. 

. G04 9th Ave , N. Y. 
Newark, N. J. 

. 13G3 Fulton St., Brooklyn, N. Y. 
. Baltimore, Md. 

. llSOBroadway, N. Y. 
, 114 West 23d St., N. Y. 



Francis D. Clark, . . , . 
Joseph Evans, .... 

Russell IMyers, 

Charles J. McPherson, 
James F,. Nnttman, . . , 
William II. Rogers, . . 
Judge Theron R. Per Lee, . 
Hon. Jeremiah Sherwood, 
John Wolfe, . . . 



1848. 



Hon. James S. Wethered, 



100 East 23d St., N. Y. 



1849. 



William C. Annan, 160 Fulton St., N. Y. 

Edw. R. Anthony, 70 Wall St., N. Y. 

Col. Edw. F. Burton, Cu.stom-house, N. Y. 

Russell W. Benedict, 102 Wall St., N. Y. 

Mark Brumagim, 9 Nassau St., N. Y. 

Stephen M. Barbour, 154 N, 9th St., Phila., Pa. 

E. W. Crowell, 40 Pine St., N. Y. 

David M. Chauncey, 140 Joralemon St., B'klyn, N. Y. 

Henry K. Cummings, 205 N. Water St , Phila., Pa. 

Robert W. Dowling, lOoth St. and 11th Ave., N. Y. 

John S. Ellis, 96 Wall St., N. Y. 

Willard B. Farwell, New York. 

John II. Fisher, 97 First Place, Brooklyn, N. Y. 

John Gault, 71 Broadway, N. Y. 

Gen. II. G. Gibson, U. S. A., . . . Fort Wadsworth, N. Y. 

A. T. Goodell, 451 East 57th St., N. Y. 

E. R. Griffith, Jr., 202 McCullough St., Balto., Md, 

Gen. Joseph Hooker, U.S. A., . . . Garden City, L. I. 

H. B. Hawkins, 35 Broad St., N. Y. 

John J. Ilager, Rliinebeck, Dutchess Co., N. Y. 

John II. Harris, -90 Broadway, N. Y. 

John Ci. Hodge, San Francisco, Cal. 

Joseph B. Hill, Crreat Neck, L. I. 

George H. Johnson, 747 Broadway, N. Y. 

Benjamin W. Jenness, 220 Lewis St., N Y. 

John Laimbeer, 245 West 50ih St., N. Y. 

11. J. Paulison, Ilackensack, X. J. 



EOLL OF MEMBEES. 593 

Hon. Cornelius Lydecker, .... Englewood, N. J. 
Hon. Robert H. McKune, .... Scranton, Pa. 

Gilmor Meredith, 43 Franklin St., Baltimore, Md. 

Com'r Eicluird W. Meade, U. S. N., . Huntington, L. I. 

James J. McCloskey, 113 Spencer St., Brooklyn, N.Y. 

Gen. Francis E. Pinto, 37 Pearl St., K Y. 

Oil rer H. Pierson 59 West Ninth St., N. Y. 

Joseph M. Pray, 179 Montague St., B'klyn, N. Y. 

Silas H. Quint, . 14 S. 4th St., Pluladelphia, Pa. 

John Sickels 25 Pine St., N. Y. 

Joseph S. Spinney, 66} Pine St. N. Y. 

A. A. Selover, • . 52 Broadway, N. Y. 

George F.Siiiflin, 239 Bro.adway, N. Y. 

James A. Sporry, 145 Broadway, N. Y. 

Gen. Thos. W. Sweeny, U. S. A., . 314 East 120th St., N. Y. 

Hon. Demas Strong, G7 Broadway, Brooklyn, N. Y. 

Eobert J. Tiffany, San Francisco, Cal. 

Samuel C. Upham, 25 S. 8th St., Philadelphia, Pa. 

William M. Walton, 19 Dey St , N. Y. 

1850— (Prior to September 9th.) 

Gen. James F. Curtis, 50 Pine St., N. Y. 

George Howes, 82 South St., N. Y. 

C. C. Hastings, 51 West 4Gth St., N. Y. 

Gen. Thomas D. Johns, 95 Liberty St., N. Y. 

Beverly C. Sanders, 71 Broadway, N. Y. 

Capt. Joseph Spinney, 338 Pearl St., Brooklyn, N. Y. 

STATE MEMBEES. 

1850— (Subsequent to September 9tli.) 

*Gen. Charles S. Merchant, , . . . Carlisle, Pa. 

"Stephen L. JMerchant, 53 Broadway, N. Y. 

'■'Charles E. Thompson, 73 Broadway, N. Y. 

1852. 

* James H. Butler, 9 Maiden Lane, N. Y. 

*Charles W. Schuman, 24 Jolin St., N. Y. 

Capt. James H. Merryman, ... 16 Broadway, X, Y. 

1853. 

Hon. C. K. Garrison, 40 Park Ave., X. Y. 

William R. Garrison, 5 Bowling Green, N. Y. 

* Enrolled prior to January 18lh, 1S70. 



594 EOLL OF MEMBERS. 

1859. 

George "VV. Gilbert, 25 "Wall St., N. Y. 

Levvi.s Leland, Sturtevant House, N. Y. 

HONORARY MEMBERS. 

Reuben Lord, Stapleton, Staten Island, N. Y. 

Effingham B. Sutton, 82 Soutli St., jS'. Y. 




